«Enthymion Kioutaheias»: Porcelain with memories of the Asia Minor Campaign

An unknown and obscure aspect of it Asia Minor Campaign, as reflected in her exquisite porcelain pieces Kyutachias, is on display at the exhibition «A Souvenir of Kyutahia,» which opens tonight at the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art.

These are the famous ceramics with a history stretching back centuries, created by Greek artisans from the city in furnaces that had been brought back into operation, just a few kilometers from the front lines of the Asia Minor Campaign.

The exhibition, which will run through January 16, 2022, and is dedicated to the ceramics of Kütahya, is being held to mark the the 100th anniversary of the Greek army's occupation of the city in July 1921.

A renowned pottery center as early as the 15th century, Koutacheia had pottery workshops, many of which flourished once again in the early 20th century under the guidance of Greek artisans.

It was July 4, 1921, when, during the operations for the Occupation of the Istanbul–Baghdad railway line at the Eskişehir and Afyonkarahisar junctions, the Greek army captured Kyutahia. From the very first days of the occupation, the Greeks were impressed by the city, and the «porcelain» of Kyutahia became particularly popular. The first ceramics bearing Greek inscriptions appeared in the workshops—primarily vases depicting the historic event of the victorious battle—and subsequently took on a commemorative character through phrases such as «In Memory of Kyutachia» or «Kyutachia,» as well as the initials or even the full name of the person placing the order. These are primarily utilitarian objects, such as trays, cups, teapots, plates, vases, flower pots, water jugs, and tables with ceramic tops.

The Greek occupation of Kyutahia lasted one year, and with the retreat of the Greek army, in mid-August 1922, the exodus of the city’s residents of Greek and Armenian descent toward Bursa, Thessaloniki, and Eastern Thrace began. With the departure of the Christians, Kyutahya lost its multicultural and multiethnic character forever.

Most of the refugees from Kyutahia settled in Athens, Piraeus, Thessaloniki, and other cities in Macedonia and Thrace And starting in 1923, pottery workshops and factories began operating, where Greek and Armenian refugee artisans worked, continuing the ceramic traditions of their homelands. At the «Kerameikos S.A.» factory, the product line included a category of designs inspired by the motifs of Kütahya, characterized as the “Asia Minor style.”.

As the exhibition’s curator, researcher Dinos Kogias, explains, «visitors are invited to discover their own narratives and perhaps offer their own interpretations in a retrospective look at the recent past through a collection of ceramic objects with multiple references and meanings. War, the euphoria of victory, the personalization of a small luxury, future marital bliss, as well as caution regarding the campaign’s ultimate outcome, are captured—sometimes overtly and sometimes subtly—on these famous ceramic objects.».

The Benaki Museum entrusted the organization and coordination of the exhibition to Mina Moraitou, curator of the Islamic art collections, and Greta Vassiliou, assistant curator.