Enjoy the legacy of the Ottoman era!
Unique hand made gifts from Turkey, Iran and Uzbekistan; for the guys a hamam towel, fluffy bath towel, barbecue skewers, a copper saucepan or casserole dish for the chef, or an earthenware pot for the gardener! For her there are scarves, towels, cushion covers, saucepans, jewellery and more..
An e-bazaar of irresistible, the best of the best, and mostly unique hand crafted items from Turkey and Central Europe!
The best selection for either the home or garden. Not only are there fabulous kebab skewers for the summer barbecue season but there are old copper pieces (tinned so can be safely used for food), and for the garden old earthenware pots (stands available), old marble basins, shallow marble 'sinks' or troughs, and unusual lanterns for candles for a romantic ambience!
Certified 100% Organic Cotton HAND LOOMED LOOPED TOWELS are really luxurious. Gorgeous, soft, and absorbent and to our knowledge are unique in Australia. These can be seen in the catalogue in the looped towel section but do contact us for more information or to make an order.
For the beach or pool, a light flat weave towel as used in the bath houses in Turkey can be the best item for the summer. It is absorbent, dries quickly and can be used as a wrap, cover-up, sarong, scarf, table cloth, hair towel ... you will find more uses for this very versatile towel. A range of styles available. These are also hand woven on old style looms using organic cotton.
In addition to the hand loomed towels there are finely woven silk scarves from the only weaver who is still producing his own silk worms!
For any queries or questions we welcome hearing from you.
Thank you for visiting our website and if in Mudgee do phone and arrange a visit.
Inquiries: Telephone: 0431 690 084 or email: robyn@ottomanimports.com.au
We welcome you to the evocative cross roads of civilisation where east meets west and Constantinople was the historical centre of an empire that lasted from 1299 to 1923 and ‘melting pot’ for the diverse ethnic people of the Ottoman Empire that stretched west to Venice, to the borders of Poland in the north, Persia to the east and Yemen in the south that so enriched the culture of the region.
We enjoy the legacy of this history, the magnificent carpets patterned with vibrant vegetable dyes, gorgeous tiles and glazes, towels with loops, textiles, embroideries, miniatures and music.
We invite you to enter a world that captivated us and hope you share the same pleasures from the selection we have brought to Australia. Many of our pieces are original, relics of this previous era, while some have been produced using old techniques by families, or small workshops established to provide employment for women in Turkey and Central Asia.
Where the original items have become too difficult to find, or it is just not practical to have the originals, for example, the beautifully reproduced Ottoman style taps being a better option than used ones, we have been fortunate in sourcing good copies to bring to you and most of these items have been lovingly and painstakingly made by hand.
We hope you find these items interesting and are happy to support these artisans and enable them to continue to provide for their families while keeping the dying skills and traditional techniques from being lost to industrial mass production.
Our Story
My great interest in the arts and crafts of Central Asia began many years ago while living in Iran. To visit the bazaar in Tehran was an experience that was so exciting and fascinating that it became magnetic and we would visit as frequently as time allowed and could never be in the bazaar too often. The buzz and creativity was beyond imagination, all senses were aroused. Metal workers would be hammering out intricate patterns on copper trays, the sounds ringing out and echoing through the narrow passageways, the silversmiths engraving fine traceries of tiny flowers and vines on bowls or making beautiful jewellery with red hot jets of flame. In another section the woodworkers would be making boxes while other craftsmen would be inserting intricate little wedges of bone, or wood mosaic into backgammon boards or calligraphy pen boxes while in the quieter areas rows of carpet makers would be sitting on low stools before huge frames knotting wool or silk at such a rate their fingers could not be followed and wonderful patterns would emerge with such delicately sharp lines it seemed magical and unimagined when living on a property in the country where days were spent on a horse and life was all about agriculture and food production.
Time spent in India and Istanbul intensified this interest and fascination with beautiful hand crafted or painted things that have been used traditionally for centuries, the embroideries, ceramics, the earthenware (terracotta) storage jars with the wonderful patina of age, the marble sinks and the marble basins that were used in the bath houses that stimulated the desire to share these things from an ancient civilisation with you and hope you enjoy and appreciate them too.
Catalogue
Gorgeous GLASS BOWLS! Attention arresting vibrant coloured glass with silver backs. The best combination for creating a focal point and they make a gorgeous gift.
Also NEW to the website are the pretty little hand made and hand painted bowls that have a million uses as well as being so decorative. These are in 6 different colours and 3 sizes.
Enjoy browsing through our catalogue and sharing with your friends. We are happy to answer any of your queries and it is easy to order any of our items...
Earthenware (terracotta) jars, up to 130cms high from western Turkey
Anatolian earthenware (terracotta) jars
Ottoman Marble Hamam Basins & Marble Troughs
Ottoman style Brass Taps
Towels, Organic Cotton and Linen - hand loomed
Copper Water Buckets
Copper Cauldrens
Copper Saucepans
Barbecue Skewers - Ottoman or Animal designs
Ottoman Style hanging lights for house or garden
Ceramics from Kutayha, hand made and painted
Bedouin beaded tassels
Suzani Cushion Covers - tea washed
Kilim Cushion Covers
Ikat Hand Loomed Silk Fabric from Uzbekistan, cushion covers
Baby Mini moccasins - slip on shoes, and baby uggs
and more....
Placing an order
.. or needing more information?
To place an order or for more information on any of the pieces in our collection please send your request with the code number, your name, contact email and post code (to calculate postage costs) to robyn@ottomanimports.com.au and we will respond as soon as possible.
Click on 'Orders Online'