Tughra stamp and the arabesque

Whilst the tughra and calligraphy on the stamps were from the hand of Abdulfettah Efendi, the other decorative motives were made by Ensarcioglu Agop Efendi. The fine craftwork of jewellery ornamentation was to be found in the Armenian community, which is why the Armenian Agop Efendi was called upon to transfer his ornamentist skills and prepare the motives and decorations in the new miniaturist medium of the postage stamp.

It can be seen that a conscious historicism was applied to this most modern of design applications during the Tanzimat era.

Traditional arabesque motifs have been reconfigured in response to, rather than abandoned in favour of, the western models on offer, so that the aesthetics of the new stamps project a distinctive Ottoman identity.

Arabesque patterns recalling classical Iznic ceramic ware were produced by a workshop that had been established in Constantinople at Tekfur Sarayi in 1719 for the purpose of making revivalist ceramics. It produced ceramic tiles in a style similar to that of İznik tiles, but influenced by European designs and colours.

Revivalist design from Tekfur Sarayi

The various corner piece designs on the stamps bear resemblance to the revivalist arabesque corner pieces on this Tekfur Sarayı ceramic.  

In other words, like the revivalist ceramics, the stamp designs were self-consciously Ottoman, clothing a new western innovation with a distinctly Ottoman aesthetic, expressing a cultural tension never to be wholly resolved.
© John Dunn.