Kutahya Tiles and Pottery From The Armenian Cathedral of St. James, John Carswell and C.J.F. Dowsett (hardcover)

In the history of Armenian art and culture, the Kütahya tiles and pottery occupy a unique place. These pictorial tiles and pottery, with their rich biblical subjects and exceptional beauty, were made by the Armenians of Kütahya (Gudina), in the northwestern part of Turkey, early in the eighteenth century, and were donated by the pilgrims to the convent of St. James, in Jerusalem.

This second edition of the book, originally published in 1972, includes both volumes under one cover. The first part includes the pictorial tiles and pottery and their history. The second part presents a historical survey of the Kütahya industry and a catalogue of the tiles. Both parts are supported and enriched by lists of plates, plans, and text-figures, as well as by appendices.

As His Holiness Catholicos Aram I explains in his foreword, “This publication intensifies our understanding of the spiritual and cultural importance of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, not only within the Armenian Church, but also within the broader Christian heritage of the East. Through this work we experience the valuable contribution that the Armenians have made and continue to make in different spheres of Christian life to the witness of the churches in this region.”