European Papers in Ottoman Manuscript Illumination: Mobility, Adaptation, and Artistic Practice
ANAMED Library Community Lectures
At the ANAMED Library, Negar Kazemipourleilabadi presented her research on decorated papers in the Ottoman world and their connections to Europe.
The lecture centred on a reference in Mémoires du voiage de Constantinople, where a sheet is described as “Turkish paper”. Negar explained that this term does not refer to a specific technique, but rather to elaborately coloured and decorated papers, often featuring silhouetted designs.
She highlighted that many of these papers were produced on thin European paper, identifiable through watermarks, indicating the use of imported materials in Ottoman artistic production.
The study outlined two main influences on these decorated papers:
- Artists working within established Turco-Persian traditions
- Artists influenced by contemporary European artistic practices
Of course, Negar also introduced her broader research within the GLOBAL DECO PAPER project at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, which focuses on Ottoman decorated papers, their materials, techniques, and the cultural exchanges that shaped them.
Listen to the recording as a podcast here!