Meeting Announcement:

The Origin of the Cintamani Motif and its

use in Ottoman Carpets

with

Dr. Sumiyo Okumura

at

The Burke Museum

University of Washington Campus

Sunday, January 8, 2005, 3:00 PM

The cintamani motif is one of the signature motifs of the Ottoman court. Its distinctive “three balls” design can be found on textiles, rugs, ceramics, and other decorative arts of the Ottoman period. “Cintamani” is a Sanskrit word, and it is believed that the design used by the Ottomans had its origins in Buddhist art. However, by the time the design arrived at the Ottoman court, it had changed both in appearance and meaning as a result of its transmission west via the nomads of Central Asia and Anatolia. Our speaker, Dr. Sumiyo Okumura, will be presenting her research into the origins of this design and its development.

Dr. Okumura was born in Japan, and earned her undergraduate degree at Doshisha University in Kyoto. Her graduate degree is from Marmara University in Istanbul, where she still resides. Her scholarship has focused on the way textile designs are affected by cross-cultural interaction. In addition to her research into the origins of the Ottoman cintamani design, she has also studied Turkic influence on the Mamluk carpets, which have Egyptian origins. Her research is grounded in extensive experience with the textile collection of the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, where she has worked as an assistant since 1998. She has published numerous articles and papers on the topics of her research, and in the summer of 2005 coordinated an exhibition at the Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture at the Yildiz Palace in Istanbul entitled “Turkish Art through the Eyes of Japanese Women”.

Meeting Schedule:

3:00 Mix and mingle. Announcements.

3:15 Dr. Sumiyo Okumura – “The Origin of the Cintamani Motif and its use in Ottoman Carpets”

8:15 Show and tell – if you wish, please bring a favorite textile to share with the group. Something Turkish or with cintamani motifs would be particularly appropriate!

Please note: This meeting is free to all members, $5.00 at the door for guests. As always, all are welcome.

Meeting Location:

The Burke Museum is located at the Northwest corner of the University of Washington campus, near the corner of 17^th Avenue NE and NE 45^th Street. The Burke Room is on the left side of the lobby as you enter off of 17^th. Parking is available in the lot just South of the Burke Museum, or on the street in the University District.

Kaftan, Turkey, 17^th century.

Silk satin inlaid with appliqué design
Istanbul, Topkapi Palace Museum