Ebru

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈiːbruː/

Definitions

1. A visual art form that involves creating decorative patterns on the surface of water, which are then transferred onto paper or fabric
2. This method utilizes floating pigments on water that are skillfully manipulated to achieve various designs
3. A traditional artistic technique where colors are floated and swirled on water to create marble-like patterns that are printed onto paper or cloth

Etymology: Ebru is the Turkish art of marbling paper, in which colours floated on a thickened liquid are combined into patterns that are then transferred to a sheet. The word itself is Turkish, and English took it directly from that language to name the craft, so the term keeps the name of an art form rather than describing a surface feature in English terms. The technique was closely tied to Ottoman bookmaking, where decorated paper was used for the covers and endpapers of manuscripts and albums. Because the English word is a direct borrowing, its meaning stays fixed to this specific Turkish practice rather than to the broader European idea of marbled paper, which English speakers usually call by a different name.

Synonyms: marbling