Excavated Iznik Kilns and Characterization Studies of the Kiln Furniture

Abstract

The term Iznik ceramics refers to the pottery and tiles produced in the town of Iznik, Turkey during the reign of Ottoman Empire, in the period between 14th through 17th centuries. Those ceramics have been classified into different groups, such as, Miletus, Abraham of Kutahya, Golden Horn and Damascus wares based on their style but not indicating a provenance. Although, on the basis of its production technology, Iznik ceramics represents the general Islamic ceramic tradition, the Iznik potters succeeded in producing ceramics of a very high quality characterized by a wide range of vivid colors under a brilliant lead-soda glaze during 16th century. It was generally thought that such quality wares could not be produced by Ottoman craftsmen and they were attributed to Iran, Rhodes, Damascus, Kutahya and Golden Horn of Istanbul. Red bodied pottery produced in Iznik during the second half of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century was named as Miletus ware because of the similarities with the wares excavated around Miletus in the 1930s. However, the excavations of the kilns in Iznik started in 1963, by Prof. Dr. Oktay Aslanapa proved that these findings had actually been produced in Iznik. The production of Miletus wares continued well into the 16th century (circa 1520) together with the newly developed fritwares of the 15th century. This new fritware with its lead rich body was quite different from the earlier alkaline frit of the Iranian and Memluk wares. Thus it is assumed to have evolved as a new technique in iznik. A total of three kilns have been recovered in Iznik since the excavation started. Two of the recovered kilns are cylindrical in shape having 2 m diameter and being 2 m deep were found at the same location side by side. Kilns were separated from each other by a piece of a marble column. Both kilns have a circular entrance on the top. Third kiln was recovered rather away from the other two, having parallelepiped shape with a cross section about 180x150cm measuring 2.5 m in deep Top of the kiln was found to have caved in and it seems that there is an entrance from the side wall. This kiln has a niche on the interior wall to place the shelves. Interior all of the kilns recovered were covered with large refractory red bricks. During the cleaning process of the kilns, lots of sherds having red and white body were recovered. Those sherds including the Miletus, Abraham of Kutahya, Damascus, Golden Horn wares and sherds decorated by sgraffito and slip techniques with colored glaze (cuerda seca). Fired red body undecorated (biscuit) and unglazed sherds were also found. In addition to the sherds, many kiln furniture including supports, tripods were recovered during the excavation. Sherds with colored glaze were also recovered at Kalehisar excavation site in Corum, Turkey, belonging to 13th century Seljuk settlement. Therefore it is assumed that the Seljuk ceramic tradition influenced the Ottomans. Even though there is no documentary evidence, the quality of the Palaelogian earthenware excavated in the area suggest that iznik was a pottery center since Byzantine era. The body of the finds was red and the glaze was shiny, very similar to the early Iznik wares of the 14th century decorated with slip technique. The red body and the green lead glaze of the tiles of the Orhan Gazi Imaret (1334/35) suggest a continuation of the Byzantine tradition.