نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 دانشجوی دکتری پژوهش هنر، دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه الزهرا، تهران، ایران.
2 استاد گروه طراحی پارچه و لباس، دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه الزهرا، تهران، ایران، نویسنده مسئول.
3 دانشیار گروه طراحی پارچه و لباس، دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه الزهرا، تهران، ایران.
چکیده
کلیدواژه‌ها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Throughout history, human beliefs have transformed many natural elements into symbols. Among these elements is the tulip, which became a decorative design in Ottoman art and a symbol of this empire. It even lent its name to the greatest era in the empire's history, the "Tulip Era." Due to the presence of the tulip design on some textile samples, particularly fabrics used by the Ottoman sultans, and the widespread use of this design in the decoration of jewellery, carpets, tiles, and decorative objects, the tulip became one of the favourite and important symbols for the Ottoman sultans. They regarded it as a symbol of allure, love, beauty, and vitality, as well as a symbol of progress and pride. The designs inspired by this flower are characterised by remarkable visual diversity, reflecting the artistic taste of the period's artists.
This study aims to analyse the significance of the tulip design in Ottoman textiles using Theda Skocpol's historical sociology strategy, which focuses on identifying causal patterns in historical and social sequences of events. The study employs a descriptive-analytical method and relies on library-based data, texts, and historical works. It seeks to uncover the reasons behind the representation of the tulip design in Ottoman textiles, particularly the historical and social factors that emerged during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The research methodology is based on analysing causal systems in history and interpreting the creativity among them.
To explore this subject, primary sources and works by historians were examined, and the political structure of that period was analysed in the context of political and social continuity. Textiles' role was not limited to representing social conditions alone; they were also considered an independent factor in changing moral structures and the agency of social actors. As the research question highlights, the role of the tulip and textiles adorned with this symbol in the political structure was also addressed.
Some researchers trace Ottoman interest in the tulip back to their tribal origins, where the tulip was seen as a herald of spring and a symbol of life and fertility. During Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's reign, the use of the tulip expanded, and Muslim Turks regarded it as a symbol of growth, power, and high status, adopting it as their official emblem. This article focuses on the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent and the initial emergence of this symbol.
The events of Suleiman the Magnificent's reign should be divided into two domains: one encompassing the political and social events related to his conquests in Europe, considered external to the Islamic world, and the other concerning Iran, seen as an internal and religious competitor within the Islamic world, along with internal social and political issues. Suleiman's reign began with few internal conflicts, and he quickly turned his attention to European targets to accomplish what his predecessors had not. During his rule, Sultan Suleiman carried several titles, such as Amir al-Mu'minin (Prince of the Faithful), Shadow of God on Earth, Protector of the Holy Cities of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, and Lord of Lords in the Eastern and Western Worlds. These titles reflect the prevailing approach of the Ottoman Empire during his reign.
This expansionist policy of the empire also impacted its economic system. Turkey transitioned from being an intermediary in the silk trade between the East and the West to becoming a producer during this period, a development resulting from the expansionist plans of his predecessors. The rivalry with Iran, which spurred the formation of Ottoman art, quickly led to the emergence of a luxurious style befitting the Ottoman Empire, putting an end to the classical Ottoman style that had been a continuation of Seljuk Turkish art and was influenced by Safavid Iranian art.
Regarding the tulip, its social background must also be considered. This flower held great value in both Iran and the Ottoman Empire, symbolising fertility, love, and martyrdom. It also reflected agricultural beliefs about the relationship between the king and the fertility of the land, an idea present in the thinking of both Osman I and Mehmed the Conqueror. In addition to its symbolic aura, the Ottoman army was likened to tulips, forming the basis for transforming this symbol from one with mystical significance into a political emblem. Istanbul, the capital, was filled with flowers even in winter, symbolising the grandeur of the empire. The exchange of tulips between the Ottomans and the Safavid Iranians signified the Ottomans’ attempt to surpass and monopolise this flower for the empire's benefit.
The sultan, who was enamoured with the tulip and considered himself its guardian and tamer, sought through its cultivation to enhance his divine legitimacy and spread paradise on earth. Lale, the book which he collected was a means to legitimise this concept and evidence of the symbolic associations tied to the flower. On a political and social level, the comparison of the tulip to the letters and form of the word "Allah," and the symbolic references in the Abjad calculations, along with Sultan Suleiman's interest in cultivating flowers, added to the fame of the Sheikh al-Islam (the most important figure in aligning law with sharia and transforming it for Suleiman the Magnificent) as a gardener, who worked to multiply and diversify tulip varieties. The presence of tulip designs in mosques, on shirts worn under armour, and on carpets reflected how this symbol reached the core of religious thought.
The dominance of the tulip design and its association with the "Tulip Era" during the reign of Sultan Ahmed III—a period of luxury, extravagance, and the flourishing of Ottoman arts under a global artistic umbrella—can be observed in the stylistic changes of the time. From the tulip-adorned emblem of Suleiman the Magnificent to the efforts of local rulers to design emblems featuring the tulip, and the introduction of coinage under Sultan Ahmed III that incorporated the tulip with the emblem and the word "Allah," the tulip’s evolution into a political symbol is traceable. Another aspect of this political symbolism is evident in the Latin translation of the tulip's name, which was seen as a reference to a turban adorned with a tulip. For Sultan Suleiman and his successors, tulip-adorned jewellery represented the emergence of this flower, reflecting their special status.
After the Treaty of Amasya and the improvement in relations between Iran and the Ottoman Empire, sending tulips to Iran became part of the Ottoman rivalry with Iran, showcasing the empire's grandeur to its most significant religious competitor.
However, regarding the main focus of this article, the role and significance of textiles must be examined from an economic and political perspective in the Ottoman Empire, particularly during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. In the Ottoman era, the depiction of human figures was prohibited, especially in artistic works like clothing. This religious prohibition against imagery was taken seriously under Ottoman rule, where human representation was unacceptable and forbidden in Islam. This led to a focus on other artistic elements, such as decorative art, plants, and flowers.
As highlighted, the political function of the tulip design served as a symbol of the empire, while from a religious perspective, it had an internal political role reflecting an ideal religious model and its peak, the empire that encompassed the holy lands. It stood as a successor to the Mamluks and a competitor to the Shia Iranian state. From an economic standpoint, the tulip was considered a high-yielding product, generating significant wealth for the Ottomans during the tulip mania in the Netherlands. Socially, it became a marker of the grandeur and luxury of the period.
The findings indicate that while the tulip design was derived from nature, its development and diversification into decorative motifs gradually made it the favourite flower of the Ottoman sultans and a symbol of their court. With the support of the court and restrictions on using animal and human motifs, decorative art flourished thanks to the creativity of the artists. The historical sequence of events in a causal chain shows that the expansion of Ottoman conquests, the formation of a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual government, the emergence of a new Ottoman identity as the largest empire in the world, political rivalries with Europe and Shia Iran, and the increase in wealth from territorial expansion all contributed to the development of Ottoman culture and society.
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