IRAN ART EXHIBITION: ISFAHAN AND ITS MAGNIFICENT HANDICRAFTS
Persian handicrafts are a luxurious choice for those who are looking for a special gift for their family members and friends. Iran, as a country with its prosperous art and culture has always been famous for Persian handicrafts. A lot of handmade products are produced in this country and the most valuable ones belong to Isfahan, a beautiful and historical city. Buying different handicrafts of this city will flourish the level of art and culture around the world.
MinaKari
MinaKari (enameled) is the most popular handicraft in Isfahan because of some reasons:
• It has a reasonable price.
• It has a big collection of products.
• You can buy each product in different sizes.
• Its colors are special and make you calm.
Iranian Minakari
This Persian handicraft is one of the well-known products which is exported to different cities around the world and have a lot of fans in various regions. It can be considered as one of the exquisite promotional gifts in various companies and organizations because you can stick your logo on it and transfer great art and culture of the region. Also, you can use the dishes of MinaKari (enameled) of Isfahan for your personal usage or as a gift to your family members and friends.
Isfahan Minakari
Copper dishes are designed and painted by special Mina colors; then they are put in the furnace with high temperature to be heated and the colors will be stable. Nice designs are painted by a professional master to make arabesque, paisley, bird and flower, and traditional patterns on this handicraft. A lot of people learn this art and consider it as a home job because it is an energetic activity to work with colors and designs. MinaKari (enameled) handicrafts of Isfahan are mainly in shades of blue color but you can see other colors of red, brown, green and yellow in some paintings. Different products; such as plate, vase, frame, panel, sugar pot, fruit dish, sweet dish and a lot of other dishes can be used for practical or ornamental purposes at your home or workplace.
Firoozeh Koobi
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: Firoozeh Koobi is known as a magnificent art among artworks of Isfahan because it is made of original turquoise which increases its value. One of the luxurious Persian handicrafts is the Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise) of Isfahan. When you look at this piece of art, you will remember the sky because of the color of turquoise stones stuck on the copper dish. Making this kind of handicraft, such as the other ones, needs precision and patience because you have to take a close look at the design. Original Firoozeh (turquoise) stones from Neishabour are used to be stuck with special glue on a copper dish. The smaller and closer the stones, the more valuable will be the product. The masters who make this handicraft sort different stones based on their size and color, after that they use special tools to stick them on the copper to make sparkling handicrafts.
Firoozeh Koobi Turquoise of Isfahan
People usually buy Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise) handicrafts to decorate their showcases. Also, some newly-married couples buy a set of mirror and candlesticks which can bring them luck and happiness. There are some other products made of this art; such as sugar pot, sweet dish, fruit dish, photo frames and some other dishes which can attract the attention of every person. As this art of Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise) is a little more expensive, some people consider it as a luxurious gift to their loved ones in order to make them surprised. It is suggested not to use strong chemical detergents to wash these dishes; therefore, a dry cloth can be used after dusting it with a wet cloth. The history of this Persian handicraft is about 70 years and it is a new handicraft in comparison to the other ones.
KhatamKari
KhatamKari is a traditional art of Iran which is made in various workshops under the supervision of professional masters of this field with great care and interest. One of the traditional handicrafts of Isfahan is KhatamKari. It has been used for decorating the doors of holy shrines in Iran and making different products such as a variety of boxes, pen holders, buckets and tissue holders. The products which are made by this art are various and people usually consider them for both practical and decorative purposes. It is possible to buy a tissue holder for your desk, put tissues in it and make your atmosphere more beautiful. KhatamKari handicrafts have a polyester layer which prevents it to be destroyed but it does not mean it is water and humidity resistant. You should take a good care of this handicraft to have it for a long time.
KhatamKari of Isfahan
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: Narrow strips of wood, brass and white part of camel’s bone are put next to each other in shapes of triangles to make special designs. These triangles can make some shapes such as polygons. The more and the smaller are the triangles, the more expensive will be the price. The professional master who works to make this Persian handicraft should be precise to put the shapes in similar colors and shapes next to each other to make a valuable piece of art. It is advisable not to wash this handicraft of Isfahan with water and strong chemical detergents or put it under hit and pressure because it will be damaged. KhatamKari of Isfahan is one of the popular handmade arts which has a lot of national and international fans.
Copper and Pardaz
Copper and Pardaz is one of the popular arts of Isfahan because its designs ad colors are fresh and transfer a great sense of enjoyment and emotion. The exquisite art of copper and Pardaz is one of the other popular handicrafts of Iran. In order to produce a product with this art, the professional master bends copper sheets by a hammer or a device to make a desired shape; then he or she designs some patterns of bird and flower, arabesque or bergamot with beautiful colors, particularly turquoise and azure blue. After that, the product will be rubbed and glossed with a special machine to be clean of fat and dirt. Finally, a layer of polyester will cover the whole product to be shiny and sparkling. The point which is important to make a copper and Pardaz handicraft of Isfahan as a Persian handicraft is that the copper which is used should be thick and strong.
Copper and Pardaz of Isfahan
Copper and Pardaz handicrafts of Isfahan can be considered as a great item in a showcase at home or you can use it to serve your guest when you have a special ceremony. Different products of this art can be sugar pots, pitchers, rose-water sprinklers, mugs, juice service, sweet dish, fruit dish and some other attractive items. You can invest your money on buying these handicrafts because their financial value will be increased by passing time and you can enjoy them when you look at them in your showcase.
Filigree
Filigree of Isfahan is one of the luxurious Persian handicrafts which has a lot of fans in Iran and other countries. Previously, this art was made with silver and gold, but because of increasing price of these two metals, copper is replaced. Narrow strips of copper are put next to each other in a shape of a special design to make a pattern of flowers, tears and leaves. When the design is complete, a silver coating will cover the whole product to have a more beautiful and shiny look. This handicraft of Isfahan is very famous and people use its products as decorative items in their showcases and as practical ones to host their guests in special ceremonies.
Filigree of Isfahan
Filigree products of Isfahan as a kind of Persian handicraft has attracted the attention of a lot of art lovers. This masterpiece has a lot of different products such as tray, cup, sugar pot, flower, sweet dish, fruit dish and a lot of other sparkling items. Nice color and fantastic design of filigree handicrafts make every person interested in it which has a great positive impact on the mood of people. This art was flourished in Safavid Era because of the attention and enthusiast of the Kings, especially Shah Abbas.
Termeh
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: Termeh is known as a special luxurious handwoven fabric which is used in a home’s decoration to bring a nice feeling of originality and tradition to the atmosphere. One of the practical Persian handicrafts which can be seen in different cities of Iran, especially Isfahan, is Termeh. It is a kind of fabric which is generally used as tablecloth, prayer mat, pillow and quilt cover, and clothes. Kings and people with high social levels in the past, particularly in Safavid Era, wore Termeh clothes to show their prestige. Termeh of Isfahan is the most high quality one which can be bought with some designs of pearls, beads and tapestry. This fabric is known as a practical Persian handicraft which is mainly used as a tablecloth in various Iranian houses. Also, some people consider it as a gift because they believe that it is a precious gift which can bring luck and happiness.
Termeh of Isfahan
This handicraft is produced in different background colors such as red, orange, brown, green and blue. Different shades of red can be easily seen in every type of Termeh. They have a variety of designs such as paisley and traditional patterns. Termeh which is made in Yazd is transferred to Isfahan to have some ornamental sewing. Sermeh embroidery is the act of sewing special silver and gold tapestry to the fabric in order to make it look more beautiful and luxurious. Also, a lining cloth is attached to the back of Termeh fabric to make it stronger. You should wash this precious handicraft with hands and water because it is better not to wash it with chemical detergents and washing machine to keep it for a long time.
Iranian Handicraft
Iranian handicraft is not restricted to one or two types. It has a lot of various types and people who live in different cities of this country have their special handicrafts based on their location and available materials. Iran is a historical country located in the Middle East. Its culture and art went back to many years ago. As different regions of this country have different weather conditions, people tried to make different products with their accessible materials, so a variety of Persian handicrafts have been made from many years ago. Isfahan, center of art and culture, located in the center of Iran and near traditional Silk Road was the capital city of Seljuk and Safavid Eras. The most valuable arts of this city flourished at that time and most people were interested in different arts and making handicrafts because of the enthusiasm of kings as art lovers.
People made a lot of great handicrafts and some of them are transferred to this new Era as a precious heritage. The most popular handicrafts of Isfahan which have a lot of fans are Mina Kari (enameled), Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise), Khatam Kari, Copper and Pardaz, Filigree, and Termeh. There are some famous brands in this city regarding to each handicraft. One of the most popular places to buy Persian handicrafts, especially handicrafts of Isfahan, is Naghsh-E-Jahan Square where you can walk and see different people who make or sell handicrafts and enjoy a big collection of choices. There are also some online markets where you can buy every type of handmade products which you are interested in without wasting time, money and energy but you have to be sure of the reliability of that online shop.
Persian handicrafts are the heritages which were transferred from previous generations and we are responsible for taking care of them and transferring them to next generations. People who work in this field do not pay attention to money because they work because of their love and interest, so people should support them to continue their jobs by buying their handmade products. Buying handicrafts can also help the economic growth and transfer the culture of one region to other places. Art is the only thing which has an international language and all people around the world can understand its beauty and enjoy it.
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: Numerous artworks are made of each of these handicrafts. You can have Minakari or enameled vases and plates or Khatamkari tissue holders and panels. Some other ones are Copper and Pardaz trophies, sugar pots and nuts dish. Filigree and Termeh are the other types of Persian handicrafts which have a lot of enthusiastic fans.
Various handicrafts of Isfahan need time, interest and motivation to be made. Furthermore, supervision of professional masters will help young and amateur ones practice well to make magnificent pieces of art which can attract the attention of every viewer. The most important and popular handicrafts of Isfahan such as Mina Kari (enameled), Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise), Khatam Kari, Copper and Pardaz, Filigree and Termeh were introduced to make you familiar with the traditional heritage of this city and country. As a result, you can select every type of handicraft based on your need and budget.
