Ebru is the Turkish term for the art of paper marbling.
The Turkish website World Bulletin has a nice feature on this ancient art that some date back to the 8th century.
“For the ebru artist, sitting down at the ebru basin is a ritual. For a loving discourse ensues between basin and artist. Many things go into the art of ebru: the angle at which the droplets strike the water, their size, large or small, the points at which they fall, the harmony and distribution of the colors, and the relationship between the different dyes. And who knows if it is the artist himself that determines these things, or the basin? For both exert their will. If there is harmony, then the works that emerge will be beautiful; and the ebru artist will reap the fruit of his love, his patience and his labor.”
Here’s a 5+ minute video showing the Ebru process: