The theme of death and mourning in Anatolian ceramics

Death, which is defined as the end of life and the cessation of biological functions, is the greatest unknown, fear and helplessness of human beings. At this point, religion has tried to explain death and the afterlife, certain behaviors in belief systems that comfort the individual and society have been developed according to religion, traditions, rituals and ritual objects have emerged. The art of ceramics has played an active role in the transmission of these behavioral practices. Since the perception of death has changed from ancient times to the contemporary period, the way it is handled in ceramic art and its purpose have also changed. Death is a wound that has taken a place in the social memory of Anatolian geography. This social reality; It has psychological, sociological and cultural reflections. Ceramic objects and tombs, which have been used or produced in line with death and mourning practices in the past, have undertaken the symbolic expression of Anatolia's rich cultural texture and belief in the afterlife. Anatolia, which is the scene of many religious and belief systems, is a geography that has approached the concept of death from many different angles and developed different behaviors. Traditions and rituals, which are symbolic expressions of belief and perception about death, are indicators of the rich cultural structure of Anatolian geography. Tombs made of ceramics, ritual objects and gifts for the dead show the importance of ceramics in the cult of the dead in Anatolia. In Contemporary Ceramic Art, death has been one of the important themes used in line with pure art production. Keywords: Death, Mourning, Ceramic Ritual Objects, Anatolian Ceramic, Ceramic Art