From the looting of Toprakkale (Van) to the rise of Tophane (Istanbul): What the red glossy pottery reveals
Makaleler > Tam Makale · 2026
Yazarlar: Atilla BATMAZ
Anatolian Studies, AHCI İndekslerine Giren Dergi, Uluslararası, Wos, 2026, cilt 76, ss 225-246
DOI: 10.1017/s006615462610074x
Özet
Abstract Urartian red glossy ceramics and Ottoman Tophane pipes share a striking similarity in colour and surface gloss. Yet the question of whether this resemblance has a common basis has remained unresolved. This article explores the origins of this similarity. It appears to have its origins in the looting of Toprakkale and the subsequent transfer of artefacts to Istanbul. The looting of Toprakkale (Van) – the royal residence of the Urartian Kingdom in the seventh century BCE – began in earnest in the 1800s, during which numerous archaeological artefacts were illicitly transported to Istanbul and subsequently dispersed to museums worldwide. Among these artefacts, the distinctively bright red pottery of Urartu attracted the attention of Istanbul’s elite and, it appears, eventually came to the notice of the craftsmen producing Tophane pipes. The Tophane craftsmen apparently studied these pieces – remarkable for their colour and luminosity – and ultimately sourced comparable raw materials from the Lake Van region. In doing so, the Tophane workshops developed a distinctive ceramic style inspired by Urartu, employing a slip preparation closely analogous to Urartian production methods, and catering to the tastes of the Ottoman elite.