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We finally bring the works of the late Nahide Küçük to light after her passing in 2007; she was an artist of traditional Turkish embroidery and a master of color and design. 

Nahide Küçük redefined the age-old Anatolian artisanship, embrodiery, in her own world of flowers and gave new life to this renowned tradition. Her heritage lives on in the trousseau of royal families, adorns the banquet tables of embassies, and are appreciated as gifts of a unique culture that our government bestows on honored foreign guests. 

The embroidered coat that she made for the French designer Jean Paul Gaultier, the wedding dress that she made for the Japanese designer Yumi Katsura, the canopy that she embroidered for the Eyüp Sultan Mosque, the tapestries that she embroidered for the palaces of the Qatar Royal Family, the crowns that she made for Alexander de Paris, the special embroidery that she designed for the British Royal Family... all these masterpieces of craftsmanship belong to Nahide Küçük. 

An exhibition has been prepared and curated by Şahin Paksoy, in honor of Nahide Küçük, who was an artist of authentic Turkish Hand embroidery and an eminent emissary for cultural heritage of traditional Turkish arts and crafts. We cordially invite you to share this honor at the gala of our exhibition, “In Memory of Nahide Küçük on the Event of Her 10th Death Anniversary”.

Gülden Küçük Çelebi - Zeynep Küçük Willems

January 19, 2017 • Time: 18.30 – 21.30 Art212 Kadırgalar (Eytam) Cad. No: 8-B Nişantaşı - İstanbul RSVP: 0212 245 74 75 Züleyha Özkan

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About the Artist

NAHİDE KÜÇÜK (1935 – 2007): THE DOYENNE OF EMBROIDERY, DESIGN AND COLOUR

‘I have achieved both spiritual and material fulfilment in my artwork. Now, I shall embroider the curtain on the minbar of Eyüp Sultan Mosque with gold thread, befitting the graceful style of its minarets and present my art as a donation. My sole ambition is to create a curtain worthy of the mosque.’

These words, which fell from the lips of Nahide Küçük, describe the greatly revered doyenne of embroidery, design, colour and vision whom we lost in 2007.

Embellished with flowers, the legacy of the ancient Anatolian culture which extends to the present day came to life in the embroidery reinterpreted by Master Nahide Küçük.

The name and signature of Nahide Küçük live on in her most beautiful embroidery and needlework; in Buckingham Palace, the palace of the Emir of Qatar, in Jean Paul Gaultier’s collection and in dozens of other distinguished reception rooms, in royal trousseaus, on embassy tables and in gifts proudly presented to the Turkish Republic’s foreign guests.

This great culture which has survived to this day in the needlework of banners, bow bags, trousers or şalvar, shirts, wall panels, robes, clogs, pillows, cloths, caftans, prayer mats and hundreds more items embellished with all kinds of colours on all kinds of fabrics, was a source of inspiration in the nineteen forties to a young girl by the name of Nahide Üstündağ (Küçük) making her the ambassador of our country’s art.

Taking this talented young girl to its bosom, the School of Arts and Crafts for Girls which were established with the world-embracing vision of the Republic and its Founder Atatürk, gave this young lady a remarkable education and introduced the country a master of design, embroidery and colour.

Today, the minbar curtain in Eyüp Sultan Mosque takes the stand as a witness to the past and the present of our culture and art history.

Nahide Küçük has passed away, but she continues to serve her country as a cultural envoy with the embroidery she has hand stitched and enriched with her imagination.

We bow respectfully to the memory of Nahide Küçük, the doyenne of embroidery.

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Biography

Nahide Küçük, was born in Istanbul 24 August 1935. She was the fourth of five children born to Hıfzı Üstündağ Bey, a pillar of Niğde society, and Şerife Hanım. After studying at Cibali Secondary School, she graduated from the Cağaloğlu School of Arts and Crafts for Girls. In 1953 she attended the embroidery section of the Istanbul Beyoğlu Advanced Technical School for Girls and in 1953 - 1954 she began to work in the Turkish handicraft section. Before long the teachers began to present her as a model student whose handicraft and work were much admired. Nahide Hanım became head of the ‘Cloth Colouring Section’ at the suggestion of her teachers, and fulfilled this post for eight years. During this time Nahide Küçük got to know Ayşe Ege, founder of the Girls’ Technical Institutes in Turkey, and was her assistant for many years.

Nahide Küçük pioneered in promoting Turkish handicrafts to the world. Since the opening of the Istanbul Hilton, first Mrs Ayşe Ege’s and then Mrs Nahide Küçük's display cabinet at the lobby has been exhibited until 2000. Mrs Küçük also opened a store in 1985 on the Club Floor of the hotel. In later years she opened yet another store at Istanbul Swissotel. For years, tourists from all over the world, from Germany, Japan, United Arab Emirates, USA and Italy in particular, bought the Turkish embroidery they saw in Nahide Küçük’s shop window at the Hilton, gave orders and took it back to their countries.

For her many successful promotions the artist received various honourable mentions and certifi-cates of appreciation. For instance, the Venezuelan Minister for Petroleum, impressed with her handicrafts which he saw when he came to the Hilton, ordered a set of table linen. When she had finished it Nahide Hanım delivered her work in person to the embassy in Ankara which the minister thought was a great gesture on her part and he thanked her with a letter of appreciation.

Married to Bahri Doğan Küçük in 1961, Nahide Küçük had two daughters, one born 1963 and the other 1970.

World fairs and exhibitions attended by Nahide Küçük; - 1999 The exhibition and auction at Bonhams Auction House in London - 1985 The Sharjah U.A.E. Turkish EXPO fair - 1989 She took part in the exhibition at the European Congress of Soroptimist International in Lugano, Switzerland

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Works and History

EMBROIDERY - NEEDLEWORK TECHNIQUES

Turkish-Ottoman nakkaşlar, painters/designers/embroiderers/calligraphists, developed at least 30 techniques in needlework: flat satin stitch, diagonal satin stitch, muşabak meaning ‘netted’ a pulled thread stitch, satin stitch, needle weaving, a counted darning stitch, fishbone, herringbone, florentine, branch stitch, double running stitch, basket stitch, kırma tel or metal strip work etc.

(For further information: Ayten Sürür. Türk İşleme Sanatı. AK Yayınları Türk Süsleme Sanatı Seri: 4. 1976)

The 16th, 17th and 18th centuries in particular boasted the most beautiful works with respect to colour and composition in the designs. In the 16th century designs turned to nature with motifs such as fruit and flowers (carnations, tulips, roses, hyacinths and so on). In the 17th century the motifs and colours had become more pastel.

In the 18th century, landscapes dominate. Houses, mosques, bridges, ships, Baroque style figures, and animal figures like birds and fish are more prevalent in motifs in the 19th century.

MATERIALS 

1. Fabric: Pure linen, silk satin and silk velvet were predominantly used in Nahide Küçük’s collection, and local weaves such as Rize cloth were also used from time to time. She also worked on English, Italian, French and Belgian linens.

2. Thread used in embroidery: The artist used gold and silver thread, metal strips which she acquired especially from France and silk thread she again had especially made in Bursa from raw silk. She used vinegar to keep the colours of the threads fast.

3. Sewing needle: Sewing needles are used in Turkish embroidery.

4. Embroidery frame: Nahide Küçük believed that the best results for good quality needlework could be achieved by using an embroidery frame. A frame of wood is used to hold the material to be embroidered taut. The frame stands on four vertical legs.  In a classic frame there are holes at close intervals on both sides. The threads of the margin cloth pulled through the holes in the frame cloth sewn all around the fabric to be embroidered, are also passed through the holes in the frame to keep the fabric taut. While sewing, the right hand is kept above the fabric and the left hand underneath. The embroiderer sticks the needle threaded with thread or gilded wire straight down from top to bottom with the right hand and pulls with the left hand from under the frame. The needle is then stuck into the fabric with the left hand from below.

 5. Marash work and Dival work: The embroidery technique, frame and tool kit differ in Dival work, also known as Marash work because it is commonly practised in the Marash region. In this technique the template is prepared for the selected motif. The design is drawn on thin paper and then stuck to sized card. The motifs are cut from the card and then stuck to the fabric and the Dival embroidery is done on the frame.

METHOD

1. The fabric to be embroidered is cut to a size suitable for the area to be used and for the motif. If the embroidery is to have a border, a thread is drawn leaving a margin of equal width on all sides of the fabric.

2. Small holes are made with a needle along the lines of the motif drawn on tracing paper. Light can be seen through the holes when the paper is held to the light.

3. The paper is placed on the fabric. A small bag of coal dust is shaken over it allowing the dust to penetrate the holes thus passing the motif onto the fabric.

4. At this stage the motif is applied to the fabric with fabric dye and a fine paint brush. The fabric is ready to be stretched over the frame.

5. According to the motif to be embroidered embroidery techniques are applied on the fabric stretched over the frame following the method explained above. Herringbone stitch and laid satin are usually evident in leaves and stitches such as diagonal double running stitch, satin stitch and pulled thread stitches are seen in flower motifs depending on their shape.

 THE HISTORY OF EMBROIDERY

 What is Embroidery?

Embroiderers or nakkaşlar were craftsmen who expressed Ottoman culture through fine arts. By embroidering colourful, non-figurative, two dimensional patterns, with thread on fabric in an aesthetic design they transformed it into a picture. However do not let the words nakış, embroidery and nakkaş, painter mislead you. Nakkaslar were painters of miniatures. They were called nakkaş or painters, because they painted, or in other words ‘imprinted’ (nakşetmek), tiny figures to the finest detail on a background. (“Ottoman Turks produced and perfected several varieties of Arabic script. All the various branches of the art of calligraphy, an art greatly loved and respected by the Ottoman Turks, were flourished particularly in the city of Istanbul.” Quotation from: Prof. Dr. Ugur Derman, “The Art of Calligraphy in the Ottoman Empire. http://www.muslimheritage.com/article/art-calligraphy-ottoman-empire )

The word işleme or embroidery is the key word separating the miniature art from embroidery. Despite using the word nakış for both art forms, nakış and işleme describe a completely different form of art which began in Central Asia and stretched from there to the present in Anatolia: embroidering designs on fabric with needle and thread.

In broader terms, the art of embroidery is decoration with a needle on textiles and leather with threads of different types and colour.

The Pioneering Civilisations

The first examples of embroidery are encountered in Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Assyrian, Persian, Hittite, Phrygian and Lydian relics. The holes on women’s clothes, and potsherds, pieces of hemp, and pieces of fabric decorated with beads and silver show that embroidery existed in these civilisations.

Embroidery also held a prominent place in Roman, Byzantine, Indian and Japanese civilisations. Wall panels, women’s clothes and covers are full of examples of embroidery.

The Turks in Anatolia

Coming to Anatolia in 1071, the Turks encountered a rich Anatolian embroidery culture here. Uniting these examples with their own culture and techniques they enriched it even more.

The embroidery on the harnesses and saddles of the Huns is striking. Stylised geometric designs and animal figures are prominent.

The Orhun inscriptions record that the Göktürks lived in large, embroidered tents made of felt and wore clothes of silk.

During the Seljuk period the Turks adopted a permanent settled lifestyle and turned sericulture into an industry. Splendid weaving and decoration are evident in Seljuk tents.

The period beginning from 1308 and ending with Fatih’s conquest of Istanbul is called the Beylikler Period. This period signifies a transition to the Ottoman culture in the art of embroidery. Designs are epitomised by peonies, lilies, chrysanthemums, curling branches and leaves as well as abstract designs.

 The Ottoman Empire

Transferred from Bursa to Edirne, the embroidery school plays a very important part in the development of the art during the Ottoman Era.

The art of embroidery separated into palace embroidery and that outside the palace became very popular and entered houses and markets. With regard to fabrics, designs and techniques this art reaches its peak in the 16th century. The fact that the motifs were sewn in the style most suitable for the size and the form of the material to be embroidered is an important feature.

 The Art of Embroidery Comes to a Standstill

With the influence of European art, embroidery declines at the beginning of the 18th century; styles change and the influence of fabrics increases. We see that people who cannot acquire expensive weaves begin to copy fabric examples and embellish them with embroidery. As embroidery loses its importance during this period fabric comes to the fore. However, landscapes and also perspective are evident in embroidery, and there is an increase in the number of colours and tones.

A century later, embroidery is in fashion again; pearls occupy a large place in palace embroidery. The discovery of distant continents fills its quilt covers, tray cloths and nişan bohçaları, the cloths used to wrap engagement presents, with pearls. Magnificence and rich colour tones leave their mark on this century.

And the 20th Century

The 20th century is the century of wars. The art of embroidery declines. There are advancements in the fabric and textile industry but the price of handiwork increases. After two wars fashions change and daily life gathers pace. Now is the time to be practical. Time set aside for embroidery decreases as women become a keystone in working life.

The Republic

After the declaration of the Republic, the effects of industrialisation begin to emerge within 25 to 30 years in Anatolia. Fabrics are woven in factories. However, hand looms still survive. Besides the yarn dyed with root dyes there is also the off-the-shelf cotton yarn. There has not been a significant change in the style of embroidery. Flowers, figures and stylised designs continue.

The Art and Crafts Schools for Girls are established. The mood of the period is to preserve as much as bring to light the forgotten items, those left in chests. In order to preserve them embroidery has ‘to be relearnt.’ The Art and Crafts Schools for Girls ‘reteach’ the art of embroidery to young girls.

It is now the task of progressive artists such as Nahide Küçük to interpret this art in a contemporary fashion and synthesise it with a modern style, building a bridge between the past and the present.

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Around the World

The name and signature of Nahide Küçük live on in her most beautiful embroidery and needlework; in Buckingham Palace, the palace of the Emir of Qatar, in Jean Paul Gaultier’s collection and in dozens of other distinguished reception rooms, in royal trousseaus, on embassy tables and in gifts proudly presented to the Turkish Republic’s foreign guests.

Diadem and hair accessories which she stitched over the period 1992/1994 for Alexandre de Paris (Louis Alexandre Raimon) the hairstylist for prominent cinema artists in the 1960’s

Nahide Küçük was invited to attend the cultural event, the ‘Turkish Musical Parade’ in London in aid of the victims of the 1999 Marmara Earthquake. One of her works of art was put up for auction at Bonhams Auction House. The handiwork which was not sold was presented along with a letter as a gift to Prince Charles, Prince of Wales after the exhibition.

The wedding dress she embroidered for the famous Japanese designer Yumi Katsura in 1983.

She attended the fair at Expo Sharjah in June 1985.

She took part in the Soroptimist International exhibition at the European Congress in Lugano, Swit-zerland in July 1989.

During her studentship, Nahide Küçük worked personally on the designs of the embroidery pre-sented as gifts by the Turkish government to the heads of state of various countries, kings and queens, such as the sets of table linen presented to Queen Elizabeth II and Reza Pehlevi, the Irani-an Shah respectively.

An Ayet-el Kürsi wall panel she stitched for a commission from the Qatar Emir, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani 1993-1994. The Kufic script of the Ayet-el Kürsi was executed in Marash work. The panel was 200 cm by 140 cm and was stitched by hand in gold metal thread on velvet. It took eight months to produce. It still ornaments the Emirate’s main hall.

The embroidered jacket she made for the French fashion designer, Jean Paul Gaultier

Her embroidery became the focus of interest of the Japanese aristocracy. Her shops at the Swisso-tel and the Hilton were invariably the haunt of Japanese buyers.

The embroidery of the curtain for the minbar door for Eyüp Sultan Mosque which she did in 1999. Nahide Küçük says this in the report about it: ‘I have achieved both spiritual and material fulfilment from my artwork. Now, I shall embroider the curtain on the minbar with gold thread befitting the graceful style of the minarets of Eyüp Sultan Mosque and present my art as a donation. My sole ambition is to create a curtain worthy of the mosque. Calligrapher Yusuf Coşkun Benefşe will pre-pare the calligraphy for the curtain.’

The Japanese Prince, Tomohito Mikasa also acquired some of the artist’s work. (1997)

From this short list we see that Nahide Küçük was indeed a gracious art ambassador for Turkey. She also contributed to the advancement of women in our country by opening exhibitions during her visits to foreign countries and in foreign sister clubs to which she went as the founding president of the Turkish Soroptomist Federation’s Şişli Club.