Abstract:

This paper is a comparative study in respect to style, motif, form and theme of two types of glazed art, known as İznik ceramics and Italian majolicas, produced by different cultural accumulations representing the peak points of their own period covering between 15th and 17th centuries. Even though, they have their own distinctive characteristics with reference to style, theme and production techniques, they transfered their accumulations to each other through trade over Mediterranean as a common basin they shared, and thus, the outcome reflections on the art of ceramics have become inevitable. The Italian region, including leading trade powers in the Mediterranean, was a prime partner of early years of Ottoman Empire’s trade at the very same region, and through this network of reciprocal economic activity, İznik ceramics, which is thought to have reached the field as of 16th century, became subject to great interest. Not only were ceramics objects carried to the region by this network, but also more importantly, styles, motifs and forms were included into the pot of new cultural surroundings. Reflections of this interaction have emerged either directly by imitating it, or by synthesizing from the interaction pot by blending them with their own stylistic dynamics.

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