in the ottoman art museum there are recreations of 19th-century sitting rooms from istanbul, with ornamented furniture in the style of the french baroque, and mannequins with black string wigs, ladies seated in mandarin dresses with high collars and bone fasteners, and embroidered flowers that trace up the lines of sleeves. a small bed with cushions and black beadwork on a shiney grey bedspread. there are pink oil lamps painted with birds and lilies in the style that appeal to mehmet's father.
the house from bursa has bright blue carpets but otherwise subdued colours, dark browns and white and black. there are dark wood rafters from which hand strings of dried eggplants. a kneeling mannequin manipulates a copper coffee pot over a stove in the centre of the room, black metal, a podium that flares at the top and is full of jet black coal unburned. a tour guide pauses with his group and tells how when he was a child he had a stove such as that. "for coffee and chestnuts," he says, "excellent."
the museum itself feels like it is from an era past, with cement walls painted white, floors done in shiny red hexagonal brick, low doors with two steps leading down and through, and disused fireplaces.
astrid and i spent the afternoon walking separately through the museum obviously expressing interest in the different styles, philosophies, and esthetics of ottoman art represented here. i liked the geometric star patterns and the tile work. she liked the animal motifs and the birds. not for me, the birds, i said.
but here let me show a picture of a phoenix -- 
-- the bird that rose from its own ashes. this was on the fabulously ornate blade of a gold plated sword. the blade was gold except for the sharp edge that was made from steel, some kind of discolouring grey metal. there is gold calligraphy along the length of the blade. gold decorations woven and wrapped around, leaves around vines, buds, and the butt is made of marble. notice the pair of rubies to be the eyes of the bird and the snake.
astrid and i are often all talk. and through the museum we didn't even much talk. but we are learning.
