Turkish Floral Marbling Samples

This month's feature is a collection of two Turkish floral marbling samples. They are numbered in the museum collection under #2017.05.002. Although the year and artist of these samples are unknown, the history of marbling in papermaking is rich, dating back as early as the 12th century in Japan. Paper Marbling is a method of design that can create patterns resembling smooth marble. There are several methods for paper marbling. In one method a shallow tray is filled with water and ink or paint is applied to the surface with an ink brush where chemicals help the colors float.  

Turkish marbling is named due to the popularity of this method associated with Istanbul during the early centuries of marbling. Turkish marbling is made on the surface of a combination of chemicals that change the absorption and wear characteristics of the paper, this surface is called sizing. A common ingredient used in instant wall paper paste is often used as a size for floating acrylic and oil paints. The colors are then splattered or dropped until there is a dense pattern of several colors. Once the colors have been laid down, tools such as rakes, combs, and styluses are used to create intricate designs like the tulips and four-petaled flowers in the above samples.  

If you would like to see more paper marbling artifacts, the museum will be hosting a marbling exhibit from April 11 to July 12, 2019. If you would like to experience and create marbled paper for yourself, there will be a paper marbling workshop on May 18, 2019! We'll be back next month with another artifact. Have a great March!