From Central Asia to Anatolia: the transmission of the black-line technique and the development of pre-Ottoman tilework

Abstract

AbstractBlack line is a polychrome overglaze painting technique that was developed in Central Asia in the late 14th century. Black-line tilework is also found in 15th- and 16th-century Anatolia, yet it is unclear how the tradition emerged in this region. This paper investigates the appearance of the technique in Anatolia and situates it in the context of Timurid (1370–1501) tilework as well as the development of Anatolian traditions of the Rum Seljuk (1077–1307) and Beylik (1071–1453) periods. The analysis is conducted by tracing the history of two tiles from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and by stylistic, technological and contextual comparisons with Seljuk, Timurid and Ottoman examples. I suggest that the introduction of the black-line technique to Anatolia was concurrent with the introduction of yellow pigment in the 15th century. I also propose that the Metropolitan Museum tiles should be redated to the second half of the 15th century on the basis that they were produced in Anatolia by craftsmen trained in Transoxiana who were also familiar with local Rum Seljuk and Karamanid traditions. These artists introduced new eastern styles which, together with local traditions, created an exciting experimental period in Anatolian tilework production and contributed to the emergence of Ottoman tile art.