A historical study on the changing meanings of an artefact: The biography of fez in the context of material culture

This thesis which stands on the cross-section of design history and material culture studies; places its focus on fezzes, which are still one of the most powerful and globally recognized symbols and material culture artefacts of the East; even though they do not have a common practical use globally for a long time. With the dominant reference to its presence in Ottoman Empire and Turkey, this study aimed to illustrate fez's own history with its material aspects, and also fez's witness to social, cultural and political transformations of the time interval 1827-1925, where fez had a practical and common use. Moreover, a special attention is paid to fez's presence from 1925 to present, which has usually overlooked or underestimated in historical studies. And adopting a biographical approach, and accepting the role of culture and social mechanisms in the meaning creation and transformation processes of the artefacts; fez's changing meanings and the reasons behind had also been a focus of this study. What makes fez special is, its highly symbolic and political life, and in parallel its common identification upon ideologies and their social projections; instead of its functionality, materiality or its relations with culture, fashion or economy. This makes fez's life a rich source of data for "history over objects" approach. Additionally, in the theoretical background of this thesis; the role of material culture at cultural transformation periods; and artefacts-politics relationships are also mentioned and argued upon some modern theories and the life of fez; and a reading of Turkish modernization efforts over material culture is suggested.