Birazoku

Gül İrepoğlu documents the myriad aspects of the tulip that embraces the colours of life, art and history: its significance, journey and reign…

Fêted for its shape reaching for the firmament, dazzling colours and flawless figure, the tulip has stamped its mark on many a corner of the world; it has inspired, adopted symbols, contributed to poetry, painted works of art, decorated spaces, and settled into hearts…

The times may have changed and ages may have gone by, say the turning pages, yet the desire to pursue and aspire to the tulip’s beauty endures unchanged.

In his Muhibbî persona, the Ruler of the World Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent hesitates between the sweetheart’s cheek and the tulip as he compliments the latter:

Favour the colour of her cheek or the tulip?

Enjoying the tulip demands work: one needs to bow down before this delicate flower not only to grow and watch it, but also to detect its subtle scent.

This book tells the dazzling and captivating story of the tulip.

CONTENTS
Preface • 7
Why the tulip? • 9
1. The Flower that Came from afar • 15
What they call tulip… • 17
The Tulip in Mythology • 18
Turkey’s Tulips • 20
Meaning in Letters, Meaning in Shape • 27
2. Wonder of Wonders: What is this Magnificent Flower? • 31
‘Red Lilies’? • 33
The Ambassador Meets the Flower • 34
The Tulip on the Way to Europe • 36
Tulipomania • 36
3. The Flower that Named an Age: The Tulip Era • 41
4. Tulips Extolled • 61
Tulip in Flower Books • 63
Tulip Names and Places Named after the Tulip • 67
What to Look for and Avoid • 72
Flowers and Tulips in Account Ledgers • 75
5. Tulips Inspire • 77
Literary Tulips • 79
Musical Tulip • 85
6. Tulips Pictured • 87
Tulip in Illumination and Miniature • 89
The Tulip on Canvas • 99
7. Tulips Decorate • 105
Glazed Tulips • 107
The Tulip on Wood and Decorative Painting • 115
Tulips in Stone and Marble • 120
Metal Tulips • 123
Tulip Vases and Glassware • 128
8. Tulips Woven • 133
Wearing Tulips • 135
9. Tulip Jewels • 147
10. From Bygone Gardens to City Streets • 159
The Tulip in Bygone Gardens • 161
The Tulip in Today’s Parks and Streets • 169
11. Epilogue with a Tulip • 171
Bibliography • 176
Photo credits • 182
Abbreviations • 182
Index • 183

Preface

In my attempt to touch on every area where the tulip has spread, I realised that each and every one was rich enough to merit a monograph on its own. Every time I dived into the vast ocean of exquisite examples, I found myself struggling to pick the most accurate and thorough illustration of my intended heading – such as the profusion of tulips on tiles and fabrics, which demanded a great deal of deliberation on what to exclude. What has been gathered here, therefore, is a colourful bunch of tulips, a studied representation of each area. Impossible as it is to embrace each and every tulip, the variety in this mixed bunch is sufficiently dizzying. Despite the potential for fascinating comparisons, the introduction of the ‘new’ versions of tulips, no matter how inspirational they continue to be, would have run the risk of obfuscating our focus as well as swelling this book into an unwieldy tome; hence the tight concentration on the ancient and recent history of the tulip. I wrote quite freely about the carefully selected examples from this vast and gleaming ocean of material as I endeavoured to cover all relevant references; at times I indulged in a conversation with the reader, or allowed myself to be tempted by tulips into an emotional journey. At any rate, the significance of the information conveyed should never obstruct an unconventional or more ‘intimate’ narrative style. If anything, such an approach facilitates better retention, or even contemplation, in my opinion. That was the principle guiding my style for all those years of lecturing at university; it has also rewarded me with a great deal of pleasure. My art historian persona often encountered my novelist one here, as has been a frequent occurrence in all my recent books; they took turns to take the upper hand. My architect persona, meanwhile, ensured order, assessing it all in the grand scheme of things, as it were, when required. A strictly scholarly approach would not have done justice to the tulip. The inspiration of so much in literature and painting, the tulip settled into the depths of my heart whilst I was writing this book, virtually guiding my thoughts… Another cause for joy was the discovery of new conclusions, well beyond listing information in a particular order as one writes a book. Take, for instance, two hitherto unconnected elements, regardless of the extent of research each has been subjected to individually, and which suddenly came together in my mind: it dawned on me that the Fruit Room in the Topkapı Palace, this extraordinary exemplar of 18th century art which I have studied at some length over the years, must have been inspired spatially and stylistically by traditional Turkish tents. This exciting observation, which I owe to tulips, to studying them at such close quarters … and to my publisher, who steered me toward writing this book. Yes, I placed the tulip in the centre and opened outwards. All that could be fitted into the pages is but a deep breath of associations with the tulip… This book was created thanks to everyone who made valuable contributions and generously shared their insight, knowledge and friendship. I owe them all my deepest gratitude. Since they are all so dear to me, it is probably most appropriate to list them in alphabetical order: Ali Konyalı, Alparslan Babaoğlu, Ayşe Erdoğdu, Prof Dr Ataol Behramoğlu, Burak Çetintaş, Dürdane Ünver, Ersu Pekin, Fatih Orbay, Doç Dr Fatma Kutlar, Fatma Özener, Prof Dr Feza Günergun, Gönül Paçacı, Doç Dr Gönül Uzelli, Prof Dr Haluk Dursun, Dr İrfan Sumru, Prof Dr Kadir Pektaş, Prof Dr Korkmaz Alemdar, Prof Dr Mahir Küçük, Prof Dr Meral Özgüç, Müge İrepoğlu, Nihal Kuyaş, Dr Nur Taviloğlu, Prof Dr Nurhan Atasoy, Prof Dr Oktay Belli, Ömer M. Koç, Prof Dr Rüçhan Arık, Sacit Sencer, Selim İleri, Doç Dr Semra Daşçı, Sinan Uluant, Prof Dr Serpil Bağcı, Prof Dr Sitare Turan Bakır, Tarkan Kutlu, Yasemin İrepoğlu, Prof Dr Yunus Söylet, Prof Dr Zühre İndirkaş and Akşehir Museum, Istanbul Military Museum, Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Istanbul Naval Museum, Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture, Istanbul University and Istanbul University Library, Konya Mevlânâ Museum, Kubbealtı Academy Culture and Arts Foundation, Sadberk Hanım Museum, Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation, Topkapı Palace Museum, Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, and Istanbul Carpet Museum. And it would be fitting to start by paying tribute to the distinguished lecturer Prof Dr Süheyl Ünver, who did so much to revive Ottoman flower drawing.

Istanbul, Bostancı, August 2012

Why the tulip?

The closer one gets to this queen amongst flowers, the sharper becomes the breadth of halo surrounding the tulip. The gaze settling upon the tulip conveys that beauty into the heart, and the heart desires to keep hold of it rather than let go. With its shape reaching for the firmament, dazzling colours and unique figure, the tulip has been entering hearts for hundreds of years. A very special flower, which has accompanied Turks on their journey across the globe, come out of Central Asia and settled in Anatolian lands, whence it has then spread to Europe… As though it had chosen to survive, adapting to every change in circumstance during that long trek and deliberately becoming a companion, a symbol! It adorns mountains, hills, plains, the countryside, a monument to beauty with its colour and stature, and to endurance before harsh natural conditions; it proliferates as it embraces legends. Inspires artists. Springing from the tiles of the Seljuks of Rum, it reaches out to the refined motifs of Ottoman art, and later still, to the admiring brushes of European painters… Istanbul in the 16th century would become a turning point for the tulip. This is a century marked by exciting developments in every branch of the arts. A century shaped by Süleyman the Magnificent, the ruler who adopted the alias Muhibbî [Lover] to express a powerful imagination in his poems; a century that owes much to the variety of the artists enriching the palace workshops, thanks to the conquests of this emperor’s grandfather Mehmed II and father Selim the Grim; a century in love with beauty and in which artists competed with one another throughout his long reign, as well as those of his son Selim II, grandson Murad III, and great-grandson Mehmed III… The century in which Mimar [Architect] Sinan adorned the Abode of Felicity as well as numerous regional capitals with buildings that reflected the spirit of the age… The century in which a fresh new breeze swept through painting with Matrakçı Nasuh’s fine cityscapes and Nakkaş Osman’s meticulous royal portraits; a century marked by the impressive calligraphy of Ahmed Karahisarî, and in which book pages bloomed with Nakkaş Karamemi’s extraordinary illuminations… The century in which a potpourri of flowers reigned vibrantly on rare fabrics woven with gold threads and tiles resembling the Garden of Eden… The century in which jewels encrusted with rubies, emeralds and turquoises become an intrinsic part of court life, whilst the flowing lines of expressive poetry denotes enlightenment as in Fuzûlî’s infinitely eloquent verses combining longing and love, or Bâkî’s exuberant joie de vivre…  Yes, the 16th century was the time when flower fancying gripped hearts as tulips and roses came to symbolise beauty and love… This was a time when the Ottoman State embraced the concept of empire, laid foundations in many areas, a time when tastes grew more sophisticated, creating a love of flowers, wild tulips were cultivated into a variety, a great deal of effort was spent to develop flawless new tulips, the tulip called Lâle-i Rûmî [Ottoman/Istanbul tulip] was created by Süleyman’s Şeyhülislam Ebussuud Efendi… The popularity of the tulip, its cultivation, and depiction on a multitude of surfaces indubitably owed as much to its grace and connotations as to the idea of finding the reflection of Allah in its form and name. A flower with such a unique form, and one that is imbued with so many meanings, may well have been identified with imperial rule. That is the beginning of the adventure of the Istanbul tulip; as its varieties proliferate, so does inspiration, brightening everything everywhere. Meanwhile, the tulip sets off for Europe, where it makes further conquests, sets root and gains new admirers. The tulip remains one of the most popular flowers in the 17th century too: constantly held or talked about, it takes its places amongst the mother-of-pearl flowers inlaid into the impressive tortoiseshell throne of Ahmed I, the commissioner of Sultan Ahmed [Blue] Mosque, and continues to reign over the most striking fabric patterns. There is another turning point for the tulip in this century: Sultan Murad IV‘s Baghdad Campaign of 1638. A member of his retinue, Chronicler Hoca Hasan Efendi, comes back with seven types of tulips that had taken his fancy in Iran. The return leg starts in 1651, when the tulip, which had set foot in Europe as a surprising novelty and was swiftly adopted, enters the country as a foreigner this time; Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III sends Mehmed IV a token of his friendship: four bulbs each of ten varieties of lâle-i Frengî, a highly valued set of old friends. During the reign of this outdoorsy Sultan known as Hunter Mehmed, a Flower Academy is founded. The next turning point would witness the tulip’s peak: during the Tulip Era of the early 18th century, tulip varieties reached two thousand, the sale of a bulb called mahbûb [beloved] for 500 gold sovereigns caused much excitement, and there was no garden not illuminated with tulips in bright colours, or poem fired up by tulips… The tulip’s rule is absolute now! The abrupt and bloody end to this era fails to dampen the love of tulips but the old enthusiasm would have faded all the same. So, is the tulip forgotten for a while then? Of course not, but its glory days are over. The priorities have changed now, rather like the tales of jaded love. Other flowers, other trees and other garden designs come to the fore in the ‘new-fangled’ gardens of the Abode of Felicity. Yet the tulip continues to inspire love in the distance, and how! Especially in Holland, well over the craze now, whilst the tulip is still grown and distributed across the world…  The tulip would return to its homeland in our time, but it has changed over the years; that old graceful, slim, delicate body has given way to a plumper look. Yet it maintains its enchanting, dazzling colours, impossible to snub or fail to adore; it is embraced once again like an old lover one can never forsake. It spreads joyfully into that lovely city it had once brightened up so; what if that city is now defined by a good deal more stone and concrete, is now a lot greyer? The tulip recognises its roads, slopes, hills, gardens, and sea; it finds new spots, some familiar, others strange or even brand new. Times are different, life is different, the concerns are different, so the tulip takes its share, to the extent that cost concerns bring its ‘necessity’ under scrutiny… What remains unchanged, however, is the desire to seek and reach out to beauty symbolised by the tulip. Today, the tulip is the symbol chosen to promote the Republic of Turkey: it is in the logo designed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, lapel pin, design on Turkish Airlines aircraft and many more… In springtime, Istanbul enjoys a Tulip Festival; the winner of the Istanbul Film Festival receives a Golden Tulip. The tulip’s footprint is everywhere… The tulip is a flower that has stamped its mark in many corners of the world and is celebrated with festivals. This lovely flower is a vivid part of our everyday thanks to the popularity of Lâle [tulip] as a woman’s name. Perhaps the most elegant and vibrant description of the tulip is found in Safiye Erol’s lines calling out from the early ‘60s, effectively explaining, once and for all, the desire to write new books on the tulip:

Aphrodite was born from sea foam. The virtuous, chaste, blessed, and lovely Lâlecan is born from snow melt. It possesses the secret of living after having survived inside ice, death after death, quietly, under cover, suffering oppression, only helped by its own divine life, of developing, and at long last cracking through the snow and ice and emerging into the light. Not for Lâlecan all that complicated stalks, or an ostentation of leaves and buds and what have you. A single bulb, upright, yet supple, a single stalk, a single flower disdainful of curling lines. That scent, so faint, barely discernible, a modest perfume like a secret love… Lâlecan reads the legends of loyalty to its own nobility under the most agonising captivity, valiant fights, righteous sword victories, humble joys, and justified yet clearly temporary reign. Slowly parting its glossy satin bud, opens and spreads, blessing the innocent breaths and their creator, and waits like cups offering celestial drinks. Blessed are those who can imbibe a delicate intoxication from which there is no awakening.

Enjoying the tulip demands work: one needs to bow down before this delicate flower not only to grow and watch it, but also to detect its subtle scent.

….