Anatolia's weaving heritage is being passed to the future with a 120-year-old saddlebag collection
Saddlebags aged 70 to 120, gathered by Berna Özden from different provinces of Turkey over 15 years, keep the cultural memory facing extinction alive.
Berna Özden's collection of saddlebags, ranging from 70 to 120 years old and collected from all over Turkey for 15 years, carries Anatolia's rich weaving culture and the traces of the past to future generations.
The Story of the Collection's Formation
Berna Özden, a graduate of Erciyes University's Art History Department, began this collection journey with the first saddlebag gifted by her father-in-law Lütfi Özden, belonging to the Sivas Zara region.
Wide Geographical Distribution and Works
The saddlebags, whose history varies between 70 and 120 years, contain traces from many different provinces such as Çanakkale, Balıkesir, Manisa, Aydın, Konya, Kayseri Yahyalı, Niğde Kaşıkçı, Çorum, Mersin, Malatya, and Sivas.
Functional and Aesthetic Details
These works, in which the Anatolian people wove their emotions stitch by stitch, draw attention with their both functional and aesthetic features such as dowry use, mount use, and daily usage.
Preservation of Cultural Memory
Collecting nearly 120 pieces through auctions and travels at home and abroad, Özden applies methods such as aeration, thyme powder, lavender flower, and walnut leaf for the maintenance of the works.