LONG-SIZE PESHKIRS (EMBROIDERED NAPKINS) OF AFYONKARAHISAR

Abstract

The richness of Turkish culture is obvious in its customs and traditions as well as the variety of its handicrafts. The items used in private and everyday life complement each other in both functional and artistic terms. First, the area of use was considered important in handcrafts produced in various areas from carpets to rugs and clothing to weaving, which are part of the traditional arts, and then their artistic development took the stage in line with the people's desire to ornament. The peshkirs and long-size peshkirs which have an important place in terms of weaving and embroidery within the traditional arts were first produced to keep the hands clean during the meal, and then adorned with refined taste of Turkish people and have taken its place among the outstanding ethnographic works. Colloquially, the term "peshkir" refers to the fabrics used by 1 or up to 3 people whereas the long-size peshkirs (Turkish: peskir dolamaları) are the fabrics that can be used by 12 people at the same time. Hosting many civilizations in history, Afyonkarahisar, located at the junction point of Anatolia in the Aegean Region, draws attention with its rich kitchen culture as well as its affection for welcoming guests. The guests sitting at the table for dinner used to put long peshkirs on their knees, and wipe their hands to these peshkirs. In the weaving of Afyonkarahisar's long-size peshkirs, cotton and linen yarns were used. The long peshkirs were woven in the desired width and length at handlooms by those who used to make a living by weaving in their homes. Since, in general, they were for use at the dinner tables set in the public squares, the long-size peshkirs were woven in a size that can cover the knees of 12 people at the same time. The two sides of long-size peshkirs were ornamented using various embroidery techniques Many types of yarn, lace and wire strips were used in those embroideries. Besides, in the embroideries made on the two ends of the peshkirs using different techniques, various motifs were applied either unaccompanied or in a way to create a borderline. This study examines in detail the place of long-size peshkirs, which we can now come across in museums and family collections, in Afyonkarahisar culture as well as their weaving, embroidery and pattern characteristics. Also, this study aims to provide written sources to researchers who will study this subject and to transfer the knowledge acquired to the future generations.