Azadeh / Çolpan (Cholpan)

The Goddess Who Descends from the Sky

Embroidery of a woman in traditional attire playing a musical instrument, surrounded by floral patterns and a decorative blue and gold frame.
A decorative harp with a black soundboard and floral embellishments on the frame

Collection: The Musician Goddesses Series

Technique and Medium: This embroidery on Ödemiş silk employs satin stitch (Maraş stitch), padded satin stitch, outline stitch, backstitch, stem stitch, and silk shading techniques. In addition, Turkish needle lace is applied over the surface. In this work, cotton mouliné threads and metallic gold thread were used.

Dimensions: Inner frame: 20 × 20 cm, outer edge: 28 × 28 cm

Inspiration: The border design is inspired by Seljuk ceramics, while the central figure draws from Ottoman miniature.

This embroidery is inspired by the figure referred to as Azadeh in Persian mythology and as Çolpan in Turkic mythology, who is identified with the planet Venus. In visual representations, this celestial character almost always appears holding a çeng, an open and angular type of harp.

Çeng

An open, angular type of harp, typically featuring 24 or 34 single or double strings. Instruments of this type have appeared in Mesopotamian reliefs and Uyghur wall paintings. The çeng depicted in this embroidery reflects the form seen in Persian, Seljuk, and Ottoman artworks. In Ottoman miniatures, the çeng is often shown in the hands of female figures and was considered one of the harem instruments. In mythology as well, it is frequently depicted being played by women, highlighting its longstanding association with the feminine.

Detailed information on the representation of the çeng in Seljuk ceramics can be found in the books and articles I have authored.