TENTENE (LACE)

Tentene is a form of knitting produced by creating chains called trabzan or various knots in the form of holes and fillings by using generally white woollen yarn and such tools as crochet-needles called mil and regular needles.

Tentene works designed in thin and long rectangular bands or in such shapes as rectangle, square and circle for the purpose of ornamenting other products are also referred to as ‘lace’. 

Tentene also includes borders designed not only for clothing, but also for tablecloths, seats, coaches, beds, pillows, pillowcases, linens, drapery and various covers. 

Among the examples of this art form, there is also a group of applications applied with needles and termed as ‘needle embroidery’. Apart from traditional bundles, these are observed in two main groups. As for pieces produced with crochet-needles, draperies and covers are especially remarkable.

The most beautiful examples of beddings ornamented with needle embroidery including pillowcases and quilt borders are seen in Rize-Çayeli and Çanakkale-Behramkale, while Ödemiş, Gönen and Bandırma host beautiful examples of suits with dollies and shelf cloths.

Tentene in Rize is produced by creating a thin, long and caged band in needle embroidery and partly filling the holes with this needle, thus highlighting the pattern.

Among works of tentene, ‘knot’ tentene merits attention as a knot work produced  in Kastamonu, Tarsus, Karaisalı and Kayseri areas without any tools for the purpose of ornamenting such domestic products as linen, napkins, towel and pillows.

Known as ‘Kastamonu knot’ or ‘linen tie’, knotted tentene works produced with this technique are created by tying and knotting together bordering yarns of the original weaving left free for subsequent ornamentation and placing them on top of each other at the horizontal axis to create a certain motif.

If the borders of the original weaving have been folded and pressed, the free yarns must be placed on a cloth band and then, attached to the borders of the weaving.

As a different application, examples of linens, napkins and pillow covers ornamented with bağ işi (tie work) produced by using yarns of more than one colour are observed in some areas like Tarsus-Karaisalı. These works enrich knotted tentene works with their variations applied at or attached later to border yarns of striped or square linens.


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