Krody, Sumru Belger (Hrsg.).
Colors of the oasis. Central Asian ikats. Washington, The Textile
Museum (2010). 4°. 303, (1) S. mit zahlr. farb. Abb. Orig.-Leinenband
mit farbig illustr. Orig.-Schutzumschlag.
„From October 16th to March 13th, the
Textile Museum, in Washington D.C., reveals a cultural treasure of
Uzbekistan, through „Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats“. The
exhibition is organised by Sumru Belger Krody, the curator of the
Eastern Hemisphere Collections at the Textile Museum, as well considered
the leading authority on Ottoman Turkish and Greek embroidery. One of
the exceptionality of this showcase is that it allows the public to see
for the very first time, more than 60 garments and other 19th-century
textiles provided from the Megalli’s collection, among one of the
largest holdings of Central Asian ikats in the world. In the 19th
century in particular, wearing Central Asian ikats, represented wealth,
prestige, power. The exhibitions is divided into three sections, guiding
the visitors to appreciate and learn more about the precious textile,
aside from highlighting the contemporary revival of ikat after it was
nearly extinct during the Soviet period: ikat design and artistic
principles, the stories of the people who used them and who made them,
and the technical aspects of ikat making and the people involved in the
craft. The presentation displays a selection of coats for men and women,
women’s dresses and pants, bohce (wrapping cloth), cradle covers,
hangings and fragments, in a warm atmosphere recalling the original
context of Central Asian ikats, with early 19th century photographs
illustrating scenes such as fabric merchants at bazaar selling ikat
fabrics, and settings reproducing the typical Uzbek aesthetic and
comfortable interior decoration based on textiles. The Megalli
collection represents the artistic virtuosity of ikat tradition, with
its stunning, colorful textiles made in silk and in cotton. The term
„ikat“ meaning „tie“, derives from „mengikat“ in the Malay language, and
refers to the tie-dyeing method. Unlike a majority of textiles are
woven with solid-thread or are printed or dyed after weaving, the ikat
process consists in dyeing first the individual threads with several
colors that, when woven together, produce the energetic patterns unique
to this textile tradition. It is a complex process, requiring a
forethrought and teamwork between various craftsmen and the designer.
Maybe due to the complexity and time required to make ikats, the legend
says that these cloths are impregnated with magical powers. Murad
Megalli was a resident of Istanbul, Turkey. Fascinated by textiles which
he collected for over 22 years, he learned much about them from his
mentor, the late Josephine Powell, a renowned ethnographer and
photographer. In 2005, he donated a collection of 149 19th-century
Central Asian ikats to the Textile Museum, with subsequent gifts to the
collection. On October 14, 2010, Murad Megalli was honored with the
Textile Museum’s Award of Distinction. The award recognizes an
individual’s distinguished service in fullfilment of the museum’s
mission to expend public awareness and appreciation (localy, nationally
and internationally) of the artistic merits and cultural importance of
the world’s textiles. Special Note: While writing the article „Colors of
the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats“, I was saddened to learn the premature
loss of Murad Megalli. Mr. Megalli has left forever a considerable
historical and artistic heritage, to all textile lovers.“ (Dina Hajjé,
The Textile Museum, Washington D.C.).
– Sehr gutes Exemplar der
gebundenen Ausgabe. – Very good copy of the hardcover edition.
