CERAMIC

Neither the famous Helicon and the Happiness island nor Scission plains and Thessaly, all of them are nada comparison to St. Vanote...” Gregorius of Nyssa, one of the three important saints in Cappadoccia during Christianity, talked about Avanos in his letter to his friend Adelpios. We have learned from the letter of Gregorius of Nyssa that the name of Avanos during Byzantine period was St. Vanote. During the Roman period the city was known as Venessa. If we examine the roots of the name Venessa, we reach till Assyrians and Hittites. According to hieroglyph tablets of Hittites, Avanos was called Nenessa during Assyrian Commerce Colonies era and was known as ZuWinasa during Hittite period. Within the history Venessa is mostly known as a Roman city and it is known that it was established by Eumenes, one of the commanders of Alexander the Great, in B.C. 332. On the year 17 A.C. the Romans turned the city into their province. The city had its most magnificent period during the Roman period. The oldest archeological foundlings related to pottery in Anatolia belong to Neolithic period which means that they belong to a period 9000 years ago. It is also known that lathe, the most important invention of the era, was being used in Anatolia 4500 years ago. We see that at first human being shaped the clay for vital needs. However art developed where there is production and effort. As a very basic description we may say that today’s art of ceramic includes shaping the clay with aesthetical values and firing process. Kızılırmak, known as “Halys” during ancient period, is the longest river of our country. Beginning from the Neolithic periods, Kızılırmak was nearly a cradle for pottery in Anatolia. Avanos, located on the very south of the area which Kızılırmak passes through, has a special place among them. It is known that the pottery in Avanos started during Hittite period. The pottery and art of ceramic in Avanos welcomes us as family tradition. It is being descended from father to son and each generation who takes over this cultural heritage, blends it with the modernism of its era and therefore without being in a vicious cycle, various pieces are being produced. Venessa Ceramic family is one of the oldest and well-known ceramic families of Avanos. For almost 200 years the family produces crocks and ceramics. The product range of Venessa Ceramic is surprisingly various; the production of different kinds such as from crock to ceramic, from ceramic to tiles and from floor tile to wall tiles are possible. In Venessa Ceramic you may find rare and precious pieces for special collections, the pieces produced with the inspiration from Hittite cups and decorations and the pieces decorated with tulips, roses and carnations, which are the traditional flowers of Seljuk and Ottoman works. Each of the pieces that you see in the exhibition rooms is not only a result of accurate and patient work but also a reflection of the experience and accumulation of years.