Research, cataloging and sample production of Kütahya Mosque hanger balls from the 18th century to the present

The history of Turkish tile and ceramic art, which has an important place in world art history, dates back to the 8th and 9th centuries to the Uyghurs. But the real radical change started with the Great Seljuks and continued with the Anatolian Seljuks. Anatolian Seljuks created a successful synthesis by combining this legacy from the Great Seljuks with the cultural past of Anatolia. We know that this art also existed in the Phrygian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods in Kütahya, which was the most important ceramic production center in the Ottoman Empire after Iznik. In terms of Ottoman tile art, in Kütahya, where the most successful examples emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries, there was a regression due to the decrease in production diversity and decrease in quality in the following periods, but production revived at the end of the 19th century and continued uninterruptedly until today. Kütahya tile art, which can be defined as folk art, has always been an important part of Ottoman ceramic art with its diversity and continuity. This success in the art of tiles, which started in the 16th century and reached its peak in the 18th century, also attracted the attention of Europeans. Among the wealthy Westerners, merchants and ambassadors who visited the Ottoman lands, Ottoman ceramics became a valuable collection piece. In the light of various researches, it has been determined that Iznik and Kütahya tiles have reached Asia, Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East and Mesopotamia regions. There is a lot of information about Kütahya tile art in the lıterature. However, there is very little information and research on hanger balls, which are an inseparable architectural element of mosque culture. Hanger balls were generally accepted as an accessory and studied as part of mosque oil lamps. However, when examined carefully, it is seen that these studies are not enough. In this study, a general evaluation of Kütahya tile art was made. A detailed research has been made on the unearthed 18th century mosque hanger ball samples, which are in world museums and from time to time in auctions. A cataloging study was carried out by examining the samples in terms of pattern and production features. In addition, the socio-economic situation of the 18th century Ottoman Empire in those years and its relations with European countries were mentioned, and the ways in which the collection products were distributed to these countries were emphasized.