The Multiple Stories Behind the Modern Ceramic Coffee Tables of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey

Abstract

Abstract At the end of the 1950s, 200 coffee tables and other furniture and fittings were created by interior designers who won a design competition organized by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNAT) in Ankara. The tables were envisioned to be made by modern ceramic artists and designers of the time. Despite never meeting, they created joint works that were celebrated at the time for their artistic quality. The coffee tables, which were used by government ministers, were useful for introducing ceramics into government interiors while informing the leaders of a modernizing Turkish nation about modern art. This study traces the stories behind the creation of these unique artworks based on the personal stories of Füreya Koral, Sadun Ersin, and the Taylan Ceramics Atelier, who were all significant contributors to the history of this furniture. The method used included literature review, a comprehensive archival research through popular magazines, and interviews with artists and designers of the time. The interviews helped uncover data that could not be accessed otherwise. The findings contribute to Turkish and international design history, uncovering artworks and identifying modernist artists and designers of the time in Turkey.