Turkish Marbled Paper (Ebru)

Category: Studio Arts

Entry Contents:

Turkish Marbled Paper

Turkish Marbled Paper (Ebru): Today I am presenting pieces of silk dyed

in the Turkish method (ebru).

Turkish Marbled Paper (Ebru):

What is it? Using the Turkish method I painted and dyed these pieces in a
variety of period patterns.

Who would have used it? - This method of dying was used for both
paper and cloth and was done by skilled artists. The paper was used in books
of calligraphed poetry, as backgrounds for miniatures, and as book bindings.

When would they have used it? - This method began in the 15th century
in different parts of Central Asia. The term ebru was not used until the 19 th
century but the art form has been used for centuries.

Where was it used? This method of marbling paper was used throughout
the Islamic World, and similar methods were used in Japan and China. In the
17th century this method traveled to Europe where it was often used to
decorate bookbindings.

How was it made? To dye or paint paper; rain water was thickened by
adding gum tragacanth and left to disperse for two days. To prepare the
fabric or paper to accept the dye or paint without blending in the fibers it was
soaked in a mixture of alum and water. To allow the dyes or paints to spread
appropriately a small amount of ox gall was added to allow it to spread over
the size. To create the pattern; dyes or paints are dropped onto the size and
patterns are created by moving tools through the dyes/paints. Finally, the
design is transferred to paper or fabric by being placed on top of the
dye/paint, removed and rinsed with cool water.

About the Turkish Marbled Paper Ive Crafted:

How were they made, and what are they made of? I followed the
period method to create marbled fabric and paper as close as possible. I
ordered period pigments, purchased ox gall, and gum tragacanth and
followed the original method to thicken the water (I used distilled water than
rain water as I live near a large city). I then mixed the pigments with oil and
a few drops of ox gall and floated it on the water. While I was preparing my
paints, I prepared my paper by painting on a coating of a mixture of alum and
water. After using the period oil/pigment paint on a few sheets of paper, I

decided that it would not look as nice as I would like and resorted to using a
modern fabric dye floated on the size I had prepared. While the patterns did
work with the period pigments and oil, they are much more noticeable and
vibrant with the dye.

What technique was used to decorate them? Of the different types of

designs that can be created via Turkish marbling, I prefer the tarakli pattern.
o Aside from the gel git pattern there are several other patterns that
were commonly used in Turkish marbling. The first pattern of Turkish
marbling is the Battal pattern, which is made by just dropping
dyes/paints onto the size. The gel git pattern is formed by using zig
zag movements through the dyes/paints to the sides of the basin the
size is held in. The Sal pattern is formed by evenly spreading two or
three S shapes on a gel git base in the opposite direction of the last
tidal move. The bulbul yuvasi pattern is formed by inside to outside
spiral movements next to eachother on the base battal pattern. And
finally the tarakli pattern is created by combing a gel git pattern in the
opposite direction of the last tidal movement.

My pigments and oil in glass jars waiting to be mixed.

Distilled water and gum tragacanth to thicken the water.

Hey look thickened water!

Period pigments with oil, doesnt spread as nicely even diluted with ox gall.

This is what it looks like to drop dye onto size.

The fabric dyes spread much nicer than the period pigments!

How were the decorations chosen? I experimented with the patterns

first on paper, and then used the patterns that I found aesthetically pleasing
on the fabric I plan to use.

Changes I would make for future use? In the future I plan to learn how
to use the period pigments that I purchased to make a dye of it rather than
an oil paint. While I could get the oil paint to do some of the patterns, it did
not look as nice as the dye did when used to make the same patterns. Ideally
I would also have a basin more resistant to rust as the basin I purchased
began to rust while the water was thickening.

For your reference I have attached pictures of extant pieces below:

Page from an Album of Calligraphies of Prophetic Traditions, ca 1500

Turkey

Portrait of a Lady, Vali Jan, Ottoman Turkey, Late 16th Century

References:
Ebru: The Art of Paper Marbling. (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2015, from
http://www.muslimheritage.com/article/ebru-art-paper-marbling
This website was an excellent sit for basic information
surrounding the history of Turkish marbling, the materials historically
used, and how it is used today. It also extensively explores the Asian
roots and the subsequent spread of the art form.
Introduction to "Ebru Water Marbling" (n.d.). Retrieved January 3, 2015, from
http://www.acdc.org.hk/acdc/images/Everything_About_Ebru.pdf
I used this website as a guide to the different patterns that could
be made using the Turkish method. While it is also a great guide for
Turkish marbling in general; the history, tools, materials, and its
eventual spread, the descriptions of the patterns was very useful.
The Art of Turkish Paper Marbling. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2015, from
http://ozsavasci.blogspot.com/2011/02/materials-used-in-classicalturkish.html
This is a great site that discusses the dyes, and paintbrushes
used in classical Turkish marbling. As I had period pigments available
but not dyes, I used what was available. It was however very helpful to
know that they used gum tragacanth specifically as most newer artists
use carrageenan.
Graves, M. (2010). Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum: Arts of the book &
calligraphy. Geneva: Aga Khan Trust for Culture ;.
This is an amazing book (which is available via PDF as it is no
longer available) that details quite a bit of information on art in the
Islamic world. Turkish marbled paper is mentioned in several sections
and it includes a brief history of how it began, how it was used, as well
as speculation as to when it was first used.