Human descriptions on tile surface of Sejuk Period

Ill ABSTRACT HUMAN DESCRIPTIONS ON TILE SURFACES OF SELJUK PERIOD Mustafa A?ATEKİN Department of Ceramics Anadolu University, Institute of Social Science, September 2003 Advisor: Prof. Zehra ÇOBANLI The Seljuks continued their existence under the name of The Great Seljuk Empire and diversified into various branches such as Kirman, Syria, Iraq and Anatolia. This diversification is the indication of the fact that the social structure of the Seljuk was a reflection of a multicultural characteristic. Considering that the class features of artsa re in relation with the societies in which they exist, it can be said that the social, political, cultural and artistic developments in the Seljuk period are in paralel with the social structure of the Seljuks. The art of the Seljuk period was shaped as a result of the different understandings, styles and movements, which is also true in ceramics arts. Taking these facts into account, the ceramic art of the Seljuk period were divided into three categories, which are usage fields, structural characteristic, and the decoration methods applied. In the light of the data that have been obtained so far, a language which is suitable for the ceramic terminology and technology was used, excluding the regional and stylistic differences. In the last section of the study, the sources and usage areas which feed the human figures in human description that are seen of ceramic surfaces were investigated and the subject was also analyzed formally and in terms of its content. In this analysis, aesthetical, functional and technical variations in drawing human figures are dwelled upon.