The terms “ceramic” and “porcelain” are often used interchangeably. But while it’s true that porcelain is indeed a type of ceramic, not all ceramics are porcelain. The distinction has to do with the particular minerals used in the production of different types of ceramics; with porcelain understood to be the highest quality type of ceramic available. Porcelain exhibits a translucence no other type of ceramic can match and it is this ability of porcelain to transmit light that is so prized by ceramic connoisseurs.

Nimet Porcelain’s Place in the Cultural Continuum

The porcelain work of Turkish artisan Nimet Varli is a contemporary extension of the Turkish tradition of fine pottery that stretches back to the workshops of Anatolian craftsmen some 6 centuries ago. At that time the town of İznik became renowned for producing quality earthenware with designs that combined the traditional arabesques of the Ottoman Empire with the characteristic coloring and graphic elements of Chinese pottery; long known to Eastern Europeans along the silk road.

During the early to mid 16th century İznik potters began to explore their own stylistic voice and introduced a range of innovations to their work. Less formally rigid patterns are first seen in the İznik ceramics of this time and the color palette also breaks loose from the standard cobalt blue and white to include olive-greens, turquoise and black. The influence of Italian ceramics can also be discerned in plates and dishes produced around this time. These “Golden Horn” ceramics, as they came to be known, are the true spiritual and aesthetic ancestors of Nimet Porcelain.

Porcelain Creations by Nimet: Anything but Ordinary

Nimet Varli has built a formidable reputation not only for the extraordinary quality of her work but also because of her groundbreaking business model. Nimet’s fair-trade production facilities are owned and operated by trailblazing Turkish women carving out their own place today in the formerly male dominated world of Turkish ceramics.

At the same time her porcelain is realized using age-old processes handed down over dozens of generations from the long-ago Anatolian workshops of İznik and composed of four primary phases:

• Materials Gathering - An accomplished chemist Nimet selects only the highest quality materials from which to fabricate her one of a kind porcelain objects. Fine white river clay when blended with other quality materials like bone ash, feldspar and alabaster produces a base of just the right malleability from which to form the eventual pieces.
• Forming and Firing - Nimet’s craftswomen then hand-form the base into the desired shape and prepare it for firing. This part of the process requires a deft touch acquired through years of experience. The resulting object is kiln-fired twice to create a durable and beautiful piece of porcelain on which the Nimet designers will then work their magic.
• Design - Nimet’s porcelain is then embellished with her distinctive graphic style that extends the vocabulary of traditional motifs while paying them due respect. Each piece is drawn and painted by some of the most skilled artisans working in ceramics today. No piece is allowed to progress beyond this stage until Nimet herself has inspected it, approved it and signed it.
• Finish - Once a piece has been produced that meets Nimet’s rigid quality standards it’s time for the application of the enamel coating. This coating will protect the artwork as well as the underlying porcelain from the wear and tear of the elements and add depth and lustre to the final design. The newly coated piece is returned to the kiln for a further 8 hours during which time it undergoes the final chemical changes that will endow it with strength and long life.

The resulting pieces are the highest grade porcelain available. Each one a work of art. To the untrained eye various pieces might look the same. However, due to the handcrafted nature of their production and embellishment each is actually a unique art object destined to become a treasured family heirloom.

Nimet Porcelain at Paykoc Imports

It is with great pride that Paykoc Imports showcases the porcelain creations of Nimet Varli. She is an artisan of the highest order and produces the type of work that is rarely seen today. Nimet believes in the value of patience, the value of careful consideration, the value of time-honored techniques and materials. She is both an extension of the cultural milieu from which she sprang and a bold innovator who is taking the cultural traditions she inherited in exciting new directions.

If you enjoy surrounding yourself with the best. If you appreciate the timeless quality of hand crafted excellence. If you believe that the presentation of food should be more than a rote exercise in consumption you’ll want to grace your home with the extraordinary porcelain creations of Nimet Varli. Be sure to browse our entire collection of Nimet Porcelain plates, bowls, statuary and more.