YILDIZ TILE AND PORCELAIN FACTORY

In the early 1890s, Sultan Abdul Hamid II (1876-1909) established a porcelain factory in the gardens of Yıldız Palace, named the "Yıldız Imperial Porcelain Factory," with the aim of reviving traditional Turkish tile and porcelain art. The factory, largely damaged in the 1894 earthquake, was rebuilt that same year by the Italian architect Raimondo D'Aronco. Established as a unit attached to the Palace, similar to porcelain factories serving European courts, the factory aimed to meet the porcelain needs of palaces and mansions, and to promote the porcelain items produced to the world under the identity of the Ottoman Empire and Sultan Abdul Hamid II. The factory's product range extended from large decorative vases to tableware, coffee sets, and writing sets. The products were primarily used in the decoration of late period palaces, mansions, and pavilions; some special pieces were presented as gifts to foreign royal families. All works produced at the Yıldız Imperial Porcelain Factory bear the factory's original emblem: the crescent moon and star. Just below the stamp, the factory's founding year and the year the piece was produced are written. These pieces, made in the naturalist style seen in Yıldız porcelain and depicting the architecture and landscaping of the period, are unique historical documents.