Examination of the forms of today's Kütahya tiles and personal interpretations

It is known that tiling art in Kütahya started with the ceramics made from red mud, called "Miletus Ware" in the 14th century and developed with Iznik ceramics and tiles. Tile production with white mud started in the first quarter of the 16th century, concurrently with Iznık, and remained until the end of the 17th century. It has managed to remain for centuries, and still inspires today's tile and ceramics production through various styles and creativity in each period. There are many workshops in Kütahya that still continue tile production. This study examined the stages of production of today's Kütahya tiles and ceramics, and the characteristics of the forms which have been created both in today's Kütahya and Ottoman era. The forms, styles, patterns and decorative techniques used throughout tile production in Kütahya were also discussed. When the production techniques of the workshops in Kütahya were examined, it was observed that they are taking advantage of technical conditions of the era (glaze, mud, decor techniques etc.). Interviews were conducted with the tile artists and workshops that produced the most popular forms and they were listed. Forms have been produced for decorative purposes, however, the importance of their functionality is gradually increasing. The most widely produced forms were included in the study as a result of the interviews with the artists and workshops in Kütahya. The information collected in accordance with the examples of the artists and workshops interpreting traditional tile forms were also compiled and discussed. Keywords: Tile, Ceramics, Forms, Decor, Kütahya