Turkish Embroideries
The handicrafts have appeared depending
on the nature conditions since the existence of man. The
first examples were given as a result of the clothing, protecting
needs of man. Later, it has developed and changed in accordance
with the environment conditions. It has gained the “traditional”
characteristic by reflecting the feelings, artistic approves
and cultural characteristics of the society it comes from.
Handicrafts
represent and introduce a nation’s culture. For this reason,
handicrafts are the living examples of the cultural identity
of that country. It plays a role in transferring and progressively
continuing the customs and traditions, life style of a country
from generation to generation. For this reason, every nation
gives importance to the handicrafts and protects them as
a culture treasure from the past to the future.
Anatolia is an important civilization
cradle, where many handicrafts are made and introduced to
the world, from the aspect of the variety of the handicrafts
and the richness of the production quantity.
The Turkish people reflect their taste,
esthetic, emotions, tolerance, and practicability with the
handicrafts they produce. The perfect examples of traditional
handicrafts that combine with rug, socks, embroideries,
ornaments etc. and the works coming from the heart of Turkish
people are documents in which incredible beauties in art
are described.
Embroider,
one of the most elegant examples of our handicrafts, is
described as the followings in various sources: "Embroider
can be described as a thin lacework.”, “Embroider is an
engraved ornament of silk or thread knit that is fringed
to women clothes (outdoor slippers, contours) with needle-work
or by sewing the ready-made ones.”, “The name of the ornament
knitted by a colored thread in the shape of a leave or flower.”,
“Embroider is a kind of laceworks. It is a characteristic
of Turkey. Normal lacework has two dimensions however, embroider
can be knit in three dimensions. It is engraved on the sides
of the fabric as a decoration.”, “Embroider is an art that
is made by knitting technique with the aim of ornament and
decoration.”. It is possible to describe embroider as a
handicraft made by tools such as needle, weaver’s shuttle,
awl, hair-pin and by using auxiliary objects such as silk,
cotton, sometimes spangle, bead.
Embroider is named as Turkish lacework.
Lacework, to which embroider is resembled, was known in
the 16th century in Europe. It entered the French
Academy Dictionary with the name lacework in 1594 and was
used with this name in the western languages. 
As
a result of the researches made on the first appearance
of these lacework in Europe and its source, it is determined
that some knitting names were used in the Aegean fairy-tales
and it is determined from the examples found in the carvings
made in Menfiz in 1905 that the history of this art goes
back to 2000s BC. In some sources, it is stated that the
needle-works were brought to Greece from Anatolia in the
12th century and it passed to Europe from the
way of Italy. Enough research haven’t been made about embroider
till now. There is no other knitting like embroider in the
sources. There isn’t a word “embroider” in the languages
of eastern and western countries.
The Anatolian women reflect their emotions
in colors and embroider. Our embroiders take shapes varying
from region to region and take original names. The names
of the embroiders change from region to region as well as
they have common anonymous names.
Today, in Anatolia, the embroiders designed
as a contour or as an artistic design that are applied with
the tools such as awl, needle, weaver’s shuttle, hair-pin
take different names in accordance with the tool used and
the technique used:
Needle embroiders
Awl embroiders
Shuttle embroiders
Hairpin embroiders
Cocoon embroiders
Wool embroiders
Candle embroiders
Bead embroiders
Remaining fabric embroiders
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