Hetmo or Basma
By: Hanna Hajjar
Hetmo or Basma is the art of stamping. Stamping
was used for the production of repetitive identical designs patterns, on fabric
of clothing, table or bed covers for decoration, it was also used on walls for
interior decoration.
This is a very ancient art that was invented by the Akkadian/Assyrians.
Below is a sample of a wooden Basma from Urhoy/Urfa/Edessa, that my family
carried away with them in 1924 (when they left Urfa), and I was told that it is much older,
it goes back to around the 18th century.
Modern technology had replaced this art and rendered it obsolete, now the art of Basma is on the
verge of extinction. In Turkey during the Ottoman period, the people who
practiced the trade or art of Basma were known as Basmaji, to this date there are many
Assyrian families who still carry the name Basmaji as their family name.
Stamping was performed by dipping its face in paint then stamping it on the
fabric, in a way similar to modern rubber stamps.
The symmetrical or repetitive floral design is a typical Assyrian art aspect,
this goes back 3000 years, to the time when Assyrian kings decorated their
costumes and wall carvings with this floral design. The Assyrians used this
flower so extensively that it is known as The Assyrian Flower (known in
English as Daisy).
Note: This original Basma block was larger in size, but it has cracked
and chipped due to usage and wear and tear. The dimension below is the
current dimension and not the original dimension of the block.
Assyrian Flower Basma from Urhoy/Urfa/Edesssa
Dimensions: 3-7/8" L x 2-13/16" W x 1-27/32" T
(Currently)
Material: Wood
The missing part of the Assyrian flower is completed in Red, similarly there is
another flower on the opposite end of the Basma block.
End View: Shows the depth of the carving in the wood block, and the
wear and tear.
Depth of Carving: 1/2" Deep
Side View: Shows a unique Thumb Groove, this is very rare in
Basmas, (since the majority of Basmas don't have such groves). Similarly on the
opposite side there is a groove for the other fingers.
I believe that the artist who carved this Basma block intended to have a thumb
and fingers grooves for three reasons:
1. Better Grip; to prevent slipping.
2. Orientation; where the person would know where the design is
pointing.
3. Ergonomics; where the person holding the Basma, will not fatigue
easily, knowing that the worker has to do the stamping over and over for a long
time.
As you see, Ergonomics wasn't invented in the 20th Century for computer
applications, it was invented long time ago!
