Tokat's local art is becoming more widespread in Izmir
Ardahanlı, who explained that his wife's origins in Tokat inspired him to pursue the art of hand printing, said, "Our connection with Tokat has never ended. Our ancestors live there. Every time we went, I would find myself at the inn of the hand-printed printmakers. The sounds of the printing and the smell of the paint would draw me in. I found my master Atıf Arpacıoğlu there. I was introduced to Tokat hand-printed prints 40-45 years ago."
Ardahanlı, who said he has been practicing the art of hand printing for 25 years, said, "I used to give fabric dyeing lessons, but it was no longer enough. I would collect the fabrics, go to Tokat on weekends, print them, and have my students dye them. Then I told my master, 'Go, come back, it's very difficult. You teach me this craft.' I've been doing it since 2000."
Ardahanlı emphasized that Tokat kerchiefs should be made in the traditional way, saying, "Today, people think Tokat kerchiefs are made by taking a mold and fabric dye, applying the dye to the mold with a sponge, and then printing it onto the fabric. There's a Chinese product for everything. Our molds are hand-carved from linden wood, not machine-made. The dyes are also made from madder, which we prepare ourselves. I go to Tokat three or four times a year to prepare the dyes in my master's workshop and give them to my students. The fabric absorbs the madder dye completely; you won't feel the layer of dye when you touch it. There are certain processes that need to be done on the fabric before and after printing. If you do them correctly, the fabric will live with you, and even beyond you. The color will brighten with washing. What I call fake fabric leaves a layer of dye on the fabric, and the color will fade over time."
Ardahanlı, noting that woodblock carving and printing is a 700-year-old art form originating from the Ottomans, said, "There are 12 masters of this craft at the Yazicılar Han in Tokat. When I first started this business, my goal was to revive this art form that was on the verge of extinction in Tokat, and I believe I have succeeded."
Ardahanlı, who stated that the Arpacıoğlu family, from whom he learned the art of Tokat kerchief making, has been making kerchiefs for four generations, said, "Master Sebati was the father of Atıf, Ahmet, and Osman. Arpacıoğlu accepted me as the fourth generation and registered me. I learned from the masters. There's no greater honor or pride than that. I'm passing on the skill I learned from the masters to others, trying to keep it alive. My greatest desire is for young people to prioritize this craft, take it from somewhere, and embrace it. But please, let's do it the traditional way, not resort to knock-offs and take the easy way out."
ntv
