Turkish Marbling

I came across this gorgeous video of the Turkish marbler, Seyit Uygur, which was created by his own son, Oguz Uygur, who is a filmmaker and photographer. The art of marbling itself (ebru in Turkish) is said to have emerged and developed in Central Asia, India, and Turkey. Turkish marblers claim that its art was maintained and perpetuated by Sufis, who no doubt found marbling’s graceful aesthetics, swirling visuals, and magical movement akin to its mystical, spiritual, and meditative practice. Having marbled paper myself, I am in awe of its transcendent, almost foolproof beauty and deeply respectful as well of what a talented and creative craftsman can achieve.

For those of us who love the heft and feel of books and especially the aesthetic attention paid to handmade books, this loving homage is stunning.

(The music in the video is “Charlotte Mittnacht” by DeVotchka)

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