Traditional Turkish Marbled Paper

When I visited the workshop of one of the great marbling masters Mustafa Düzgünman, he wrote the name of the marbled pieces and explained how to create them. 

My love of marbling goes back many years, but I never became a master in this art.  But because I love colours and silk painting I did some experiments on silk. 

I am not going to tell you how to do marbling or the supplies for  marbling, but I will try to show you beautiful traditional Turkish marbled papers.

Battal Ebru

(Weined marbleized paper)

We can call this the starting point of marbling. We obtain other types of marbling starting with this kind of marbling. 

Battal Ebru

(Weined marbleized paper)

Gel-Git

(Gel git is translated as tides)

As in battal marbling, after dyes are sprinkled, with a pin or a toothpick or a nail they are moved up and down parallel to the edges of the tray to get a design seen on the photo on the right. A comb with widely spaced teeth may also be used to obtain this pattern. 

Hatip Ebrusu

This type of marbling ,s patterned moving evenly spaced drops of dyes inward and outward with a toothpick.

Neftli Battal Ebru

After battal marbling is prepared, it is sprinkled with dyes which is mixed with naphta. (turpentine oil)

Neftli Battal Ebru

Taraklı Hatip Ebrusu

Comb marbling is prepared in a similar fashion as in hatip marbling. Inward lined are pulled by using a comb.

Shawl Marbling

After preparing as in gel-git marbling, using a toothpick draw curved lines to create shawl patterns.

Shawl Ebru

Taraklı Ebru

(Comb marbleized pattern)

After preparation as battal marbling by using combs (teeth can be spaced as desired) this type of marbling is created.

Bülbül Yuvası

( if we translate it word by word nightingale nest or snail marbling pattern)

This design is my favorite marbling pattern.

Starts again with battal marbling, using a toothpick we draw helical curves in an inward direction. If desired, a comb may be used to work the whole tray at ones. 

Çiçek Ebrusu veya Çiçekli Ebru

(Floral  marbleized pattern)

Flower marbling or flowered marbling.

Flower patterns are drawn on the prepared battal marbling.

At the left you see tulip and carnation.

Çiçek Ebrusu veya Çiçekli Ebru

(Floral  marbleized pattern)

A daisy pattern.

Çiçek Ebrusu veya Çiçekli Ebru

(Floral  marbleized pattern)

A tulip pattern.

Çiçek Ebrusu veya Çiçekli Ebru

(Necmettin Okyay who was one of the great Turkish marbling masters has used the design shown as background in his  marbling work, therefore it is known as Necmettin Marbling)

A hyacinth design.

You can see the modernized marbling in my marbling page,  scarves and  marbled fabrics .