A study into the products made up of bead oyas in the Mediterranean region

The purpose of this study was to determine the place and importance of bead oyas within handicraft arts of Mediterranean Region. In line with this general purpose, the questions of ?what are the types of bead oyas, the materials used at bead oyas the techniques applied, the general features of the motives used, the aims of production of bead oyas, the places of usage, people producing them and the views concerning the factors effective on them?? were tried to answer.The current study was a descriptive on and the bead oyas produced in the cities of Burdur, Antalya, Mersin, Adana and Kahramanmaraş were examined in terms of their features of tools, materials, techniques, colour, design and model. One hundred and ten sampling out of 970 bead oyas comprising the population of the study were chosen and information forms of them were made with their photos.In order to gather the data concerning sub-problems, a questionnaire made up of 34 multiple choice and 5 open-ended questions, 39 in total, was prepared and applied to 250 people in total, 50 of whom were dealing with bead oyas, in the each city chosen as a sample.Frequency and percentage dispersions of the data obtained through the questionnaire concerning bead oyas were tabulated and analyzed. In addition, the data regarding the data over the production characteristics of the products chosen as sampling were tabulated in terms of frequency and percentage and analyzed.It is clear that bead oyas in the region of Mediterranean are produced as two and three dimension and mostly stitched along the edges of muslin and used as headscarves. Mostly the techniques made through crochet, needle, hairpin, shuttle and knitting needle are used in the bead oyas It was found in the laces examined that geometrical, plant, symbolic, figural, object decorations were taken place in various rates. Together with every kind of bead colours depending on the pleasure of people, it was found in the samples produced that white thread was used in the muslins and colourful threads in yazmas.Bead oyas were produced by married, young women with a low level of education for the purpose of trousseau, usage, gift and income. Some data concerning production, usage and preservation conditions of the bead oyas produced in the Mediterranean Region were also given.It was found that due to its negative sides appearing in their usage, there became a decrease in the production and usage of bead oyas and the yazmas decorated with crochet laces made out of colourful threads were started to be preferred. It was also found that the usage of laces at muslins was getting decreased while new and different fields of usage were getting introduced. Depending on these results, some recommendations were proposed concerning the development of bead oyas and usage of them in different fields.Keywords: Handicraft , oyas, bead oyas