Ebru, Turkish art of marbling

Ebru, Turkish art of marbling

Element Ebru, Turkish art of marbling
Countries

Türkiye

Registration

۲۰۱۴

Description

Ebru is the traditional Turkish art of creating colourful patterns by sprinkling and brushing colour pigments onto a pan of oily water and then transferring the patterns to paper. Known as marbling, the designs and effects include flowers, foliage, ornamentation, latticework, mosques and moons, and are used for decoration in the traditional art of bookbinding. The practitioner uses natural methods to extract colours from natural pigments, which are then mixed with a few drops of ox-gall, a kind of natural acid, before sprinkling and brushing the colours onto a preparation of condensed liquid, where they float and form swirling patterns. Ebru artists, apprentices and practitioners consider their art to be an integral part of their traditional culture, identity and lifestyle. Their knowledge and skills, as well as the philosophy behind this art, are transmitted orally and through informal practical training within master-apprentice relationships. Achieving basic skills in Ebru takes at least two years. The tradition is practised without barrier of age, gender or ethnicity, and plays a significant role in the empowerment of women and the improvement of community relationships. The collective art of Ebru encourages dialogue through friendly conversation, reinforces social ties and strengthens relations between individuals and communities.

DOMAINS OF THE CONVENTION
  1. Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
  2. Traditional craftsmanship
THREATENING FACTORS  
SDGs
  1. SDG 4: Quality Education
  2. SDG 5: Gender Equality
  3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
  4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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