Abstract:

Passing a skill (technē) learned from a master is carried across generations; therefore, a crafted object would also be considered a transitive element of a cultural heritance. Like the praxis of technology, skill is not an innate phenomenon but instead something artificial, made by humans. Crafted objects leave their marks in history by transferring tangible records of cultural heritage to the future, carrying traces of civilization of the period in which they exist. Investigating objects, which are produced in these terms as art and design objects within the diverse socio-cultural dimension, would take a critical place in clarifying many contemporary fundamental views. This article explores the meaning and the process of design, artisanship and cultural influences on these concepts through reciting the story of Çeşm-i Bülbül glass, which has been a significant object at the Ottoman banquets. Using this design object as an example, the article questions the meaning of design and the transformation process of ‘becoming a meaningful object’ through references from Heidegger’s ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ and Borgmann’s article ‘Focal Things and Practices’.

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