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of ISMEK often comes to this shop which she sees by coincidence
and does shopping from there. She has been buying the
materials for embroidery needle craft, wire wrapping in Turkish
way, wire breaking and ribbon.
We’ve learned from Buyukasık that they have two shops in Antakya
and a shop in Harbiye. Their customers in Antakya are
generally local people. In the tradition of that region, in female
trousseau, hand-made silk should be available. Silky materials
aren’t only used for dress, young ladies do their handworks on
raw silks, raw linens for their trousseau cloths.
process well, you can feel the soul of the master who speaks
with cocoons in each silk.
We asked to Mehmet Buyukasık that “Are there any people
who do this job in Antakya” He responded in the following
way; “Other than us, there is my uncle’s son. For the last several
days, other families start silk production. But, unfortunately,
some families take the easy way out of the job and they bring
silk from China and India and sell them in the name of Antakya
silk. Our feature is that we do everything from silkworm to cocoon.
In my grandfather’s time, my father, my uncles, they all
did this job. Without spoiling this family tradition, cousins come
to these days thanks to this strong attachment with each other.
Silks Hidden In Chests
Mehmet Buyukasık says that they use the patterns which the
grandmothers take out of their chests. He explains that they
sometimes blend with modern patterns with the patterns on
which they apply according to the original forms of them. He
shows some motifs they produce themselves. The harmony in
patterns attracts our attentions. Especially, one of them, giving
Antakya mosaic to the silk woven thinly as a pattern… But it is
not transferred by copied and in the same way. When you look
at carefully, you understand that it is a mosaic figure. 1000-
year Antakya history is reflected on the weaving of silk with
modern lines, slight touches. We wonder the customer profile
of these valuable materials on which much effort is spent naturally.
Mehmet Buyukasık says “Our customers in Istanbul, in
respect to the location of this place, as we are in Sultanahmet
are generally foreign customers.
But he tells that he has many Turkish customers who prefer
raw silk and some famous artists buy their foulards, weaving
woof from them. Buyukasık tells that and also a female teacher
Nostalgic Loom
When we entered into Yılmaz silk shop, we’ve seen Buyukasık
while he was working at his loom. We say to master Mehmet
that we’ve thought that the loom is for décor and we’re surprised
when we saw him while he was working. Buyukasık
says, ”Everyday, I should sit at loom. The things I produce here
are presented to be sold. In the day I don’t weave, I feel uncomfortable.
This is like a therapy for me, I get rid of stress of the
day only by this way.
We say laughing that “We have noticed this. When we entered
into the shop, you were like you were not here. You are
very lucky, you both get rid of stress and gain money.” Again,
Mehmet Buyukasık goes at the wooden loom. It is very obvious
that he is having a different tie with his loom. While he is
giving information about the materials he produces, we understand
that he enjoys weaving rather than selling. We learn that
warp silk strings are prepared in Antakya and sent by cargo
and the foundation of warp takes about two days.
He says that he weaves about three or four shawls in a day.
He tells that since he was seven years old, he has been helping
to his mother and he has done some small works. And he
also says when he came to eleven years old, he found himself
working at loom. He says laughing “When they handed over
the loom at first, I was so happy that I can’t tell. The meaning of
loom’s being handed over to me is the acceptance of my being
adult after that day. I was like that I had grown up ten years.
At that day, I remembered that I swaggered to my friends.” In
order that this job become active again.
Mehmet Buyukasık says that he met with a French couple last
year. “They live in a village of France. In that village, since some
centuries, the weaving has been done. The male one is producing
wooden loom similar to ours. And his wife is weaving on
the loom. We are in contact with them, they demanded string
from us, and we sent to them,” says Buyukasık and states that
it is a good feeling that there are people who do same job on
different places, countries.
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