Travel glass in all its glory

Mounir Hentati has kept his promise! After publishing “Ennjema Ezzahra, Unveiling the Treasures, Artifacts and Artifacts, at the Palace of Baron de Lange in Sidi Bou Said” four years ago in 2109, without exhausting the subject, he returns in a French edition, divided into several booklets of about sixty pages, to explore in greater depth this magnificent collection.

The first volume in the series has just been published and presents almost all of the Ottoman glassware collection known as Beykoz, which is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful glassware exhibited at the Ennejma Ezzahra Palace. As the author emphasizes, it is not just a catalogue raisonné, but rather emphasizes the artistic tradition and clarifies the context of the acquisition.Mounir Hentati served as Director of the Ennejma Ezzahra Palace from 1995 to 2014, acquiring expertise in the conservation and restoration of the museum’s collections. Previously, he was an active member of the Steering Committee responsible for the launch of the Centre for Arab and Mediterranean Music (Cmam) and the opening to the public of Baron Rudolf de Lange’s Palace in 1992. After retirement, he continued his collaboration with the Center, bringing expertise and talent in addition to his passion.

“The Beykoz Glassworks has a beautiful history, short but dazzling,” we read in this magnificent book. According to the tradition accepted by most authors who have studied the history of Beykoz (including Murat Bengisu, Fuat Bayramoglu), even if the glass industry existed in the 16th century, glass production in Istanbul was actually developed by a Mevlevi dervish named Mehmed Dede. The latter was sent to Italy by the reforming Sultan Selim III to learn the art of glass and perfect his knowledge. A legendary story begins.

From Bekoz to Sidi Bou Said,
Travel Glass
Text: Munir Huntati
Photography: Eduardo Javier Nikander von Massenbach,…
Graphic Design: Nebras Chaffee
Enema Ezra version,
February 2024, 76 pages
Arab Music Center
and the Mediterranean

Good leaves

One of the rarest private collections and the only public collection of this size

The collection brings together more than 70 objects, mainly made of transparent, colorless blown glass, smooth or cut, gilded or glass crystal. It also includes objects in opaque midnight blue or transparent cobalt blue blown glass, enhanced by cutting and gilding. In addition to glass objects, it presents a group of beautiful opals. There we find all the iconic motifs of the classic iconography of Beykoz glassware: hearts, parsley leaves, roses, stylized carnations, tulips, either painted or gilded.In most of these pieces, the gilding often fades. According to experts, this is because it was applied with a brush and then fired at a low temperature to solidify it. But the traces that remain indisputably prove the authenticity of the object and discourage imitation.

Morphologically, the objects in the collection present a unique diversity: sprinklers, vases, jars, candies dishes, cups, jugs and basins, jam bowls, sugar bowls and other jars.

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Bohemian glassmaking became a true art in 17th century Europe. By the beginning of the 18th century, it had reached considerable size thanks to the emergence of numerous artists, painters, engravers and master glassmakers. Bohemian glass was exported to almost all parts of the world, from India to South and North America. “Bohemian Houses” were opened to sell glassware in 12 major cities and ports in Europe, America and the Middle East, including Baltimore, Beirut, Cairo, Mexico City, New York and even Izmir. In short, Bohemian glassmakers conquered the world with a new and different “glass craft”.One of the most widely used Bohemian glass products in the Ottoman Empire was cut crystal. Glass cutting reached its peak from the 1700s onwards, with over 100 meters of cut and engraved lengths being produced in different regions of Bohemia.

According to Tunisian historian Mohamed Yacoub, “Bohemian glassworks began to invade Tunisia in the early 19th century. From Bohemia, they traveled to Italy, or to the great cities of the East, such as Cairo or Constantinople, and finally to Tunisia until the first decades of the 20th century. Yacoub explains the success of this glassware in Tunisia “for its forms, which are reminiscent of traditional Islamic glassware, and also for its uses, such as perfume dispensers”. He also adds that “some of the glassware owned by wealthy Tunisian families comes from Beykoz workshops” (Yacoub, 2000).Therefore, part of De Lange’s collection of Ottoman glassware could have been acquired in Tunisian souks. It is also possible that Rudolf De Lange maintained strong relationships with wealthy Tunisian families, who knew that they owned small private collections of Bekozi and acquired them when he had the opportunity. But these are only assumptions.

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Beyond these scientific aspects, this work has at least the merit of revealing a priceless collection that, in our opinion, deserves to be preserved and celebrated for two important reasons. First, it is one of the rare private collections in Tunisia and the only public collection of this size in Tunisia. Moreover, the objects that make up it are rare even on a global scale and are mainly found in a few museums and private collections. This work is also a tribute to an enlightened and passionate collector who was able to capture the essence of the Orient through his numerous collections, including this precious glassware.