Guilds

Guilds were associations formed by urban artisans and service workers who practiced the same occupation and who were not in the employment of the palace or the military sector. They encompassed the production of a wide variety of goods and services fundamental to the daily life of the inhabitants of Istanbul, from supplying food and water to clothing and carpentry. The guilds adhered to the rules and parameters set by the state, but they were independently created and had their own internal rules and structure. They followed an apprenticeship system in which the more senior members, the masters, taught the trade to the younger artisans. In this scene of the Surname-i Vehbi the artist portrays the sultan, sitting in his tent, and members of his court observing the procession of three different guilds -butchers, cooks, and tanners-  illustrating the variety of goods and services guilds’ provided.