Ceramic 'Çini' Plate 'Calligraphic Bird & Tulip'

plate with calligraphic bird figure nurten sahin uses a variety of “cini” surfaces to display her calligraphic work including plates. the inscription on the plate is the traditional “besmele” the opening verse of all chapters of the koran which means “in the name of god the merciful the compassionate”. calligraphy is the aesthetic changing of form of the arabic letters by an artist and the resulting script. it is one of the most prominent art forms of the islamic world practiced as early as the 8th century. calligraphy was widely used in original iznik pottery especially in mosque lamps. in this plate the inscription is in the form of a bird motif displaying an innovative merger of calligraphy with a traditional animal motif.