The Tiles of The Church of St. Aikaterini in Thessaloniki

Year 2024, Volume: 19 Issue: 2, 225 - 240, 31.12.2024

İlkgül Kaya

https://doi.org/10.48145/gopsbad.1539703

Abstract

This study examines the tiles of the Church of Saint Aikaterini in Thessaloniki. According to dendrochronological analysis, the church, built at the end of the 13th century or in 1315, stands out among Late Period churches in Thessaloniki due to its ceramoplastic decoration and tiles. However, tiles are not found in other Late Period churches in Thessaloniki. The tiles of the Church of Saint Aikaterini are distributed on the north and south walls of ambulatory addition to the east facade of the building, with a total of thirteen panels. The tiles were produced using the incised-sgraffito technique. The clay color of the tiles matches the bricks used in the walls of the ambulatory, suggesting that both the tiles and bricks were prepared in the same workshop. The color palette of the tiles consists of two different tones of glaze: yellow and green. The tiles have gradulally deteriorated over time as a result of continious exposure to environmental conditions. Generally, the square or rectangular panels feature circular medallions containing quatrefoil rosettes and sexfoil flower/rosette motifs. In two examples, an equal-armed cross motif is present. In one example, a quatrefoil rosette is accompanied by a stylized bird figure facing to the right. In two panels, the medallions, designed as two intertwined circles surrounding the main pattern, are filled with zigzag motifs. These tiles are decorated with some of the most common motifs in Byzantine art.

Keywords

Byzantine architecture, Byzantine tiles, decoration, Church of St. Aikaterini

Project Number

6602b-FEN/19-306 (BAP)

Selanik'teki Azize Ekaterini Kilisesi Çinileri

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Selanik’teki Azize Ekaterini Kilisesi’nin çinilerini incelemektedir. Dendrokronolojik analiz sonuçlarına göre 13. yüzyılın sonunda veya 1315 yılında inşa edilen kilise, tuğla süslemeleri ve çinileri ile Geç Dönem Selanik kiliseleri arasında öne çıkar. Ancak Selanik'in Geç Bizans Dönemi kiliselerinde çinilere rastlanmaz. Azize Ekaterini Kilisesi’nin çinileri yapının doğu cephesine ek olarak kuzey ve güney duvarlara dağıtılmıştır ve toplamda on üç pano vardır. Çiniler ince sgraffito tekniğiyle üretilmiştir. Hamur rengi, kilise ambulatoryumunun duvarlarında kullanılan tuğlalarla aynıdır. Bu durum, çinilerle ambulatoryum duvarlarında kullanılan tuğlaların aynı atölyede hazırlandığını düşündürmektedir. Çinilerin renk paletinde sarı ve yeşil olmak üzere iki farklı tonda sır kullanılmıştır. Çiniler sürekli çevresel etkilere maruz kalmaları nedeniyle bozulma göstermektedir. Genel olarak kare veya dikdörtgen formlu panolarda dairesel madalyonlar içinde dört kollu rozet, altı yapraklı çiçek /rozet motifleri; iki örnekte eş kollu haç motifi; bir örnekte ise sağa dönük stilize edilmiş kuş figürü ile birlikte dört kollu rozet süsleme öne çıkmaktadır. İki panoda, ana desenin çevresini saran iç içe geçmiş iki daire şeklinde işlenen madalyonlar arasında zikzak motifleriyle dolgu yapılmıştır. Çiniler, Bizans Sanatı’nda en sık rastlanan motiflerle bezenmiştir.

Keywords

Bizans mimarisi, Azize Ekaterini Kilisesi, Bizans çinileri, süsleme

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışma daha önce hiçbir yerde yayınlanmamış ya da yayınlanmak üzere gönderilmemiştir.

Supporting Institution

Yozgat Bozok Üniversitesi

Project Number

6602b-FEN/19-306 (BAP)

Thanks

Yozgat Bozok Üniversitesi BAP Komisyonu, Dr. Paschalis Androudis, Vasileios Tsirakoglou

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