IRAN ART EXHIBITION: “TURQUOISE INLAYING” A LUXURIOUS HANDICRAFT OF IRAN
Firoozeh Koobi of Isfahan is a fantastic art because of its nice harmony of colors. This luxurious handicraft will transfer an excellent sense of calmness. Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise) is one of the luxurious arts of Iran which has a lot of fans in this country and the foreign ones. Great color of turquoise stones intrigues art lovers to buy this beautiful handicraft which reminds them of the sky. A lot of Persian Handicrafts are made by this exquisite art.
Introduction of Firoozeh Koobi (Turquoise)
Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise) is one of the handicrafts which is made by putting a variety of turquoise stones on the surface of different dishes made of copper, brass, silver and bronze. Making handicrafts with this art needs a lot of attention and precision because every stone should be put on the surface in mosaic fashion. This art is usually used for making different dishes and jewelries to make a regular and nice design which has a decorative aspect. Turquoise stones brought from Neishabour Iran are stuck on the surface of dishes from Isfahan with special glue. The smaller the sizes and distances between the stones, the higher will be their value.
A high quality turquoise product can be seen by the dark blue color of turquoise and its pure lines. There are different colors of turquoise which can be varied from green to dark blue. The most valuable turquoise is that of Neishabour which is considered as a criteria to evaluate turquoise around the world with its dark blue color. A great and original turquoise is rare because it is mainly used to make precious jewelries .
History of Firoozeh Koobi (Turquoise)
Turquoise of Isfahan is an original and new art which has attracted the attention of a lot of art lovers. Different dishes are made with this art. Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise) is an almost new art which dates back to about 70 years ago. It was previously done in Mashhad and after that was brought to Isfahan. Turquoise stones are usually used to form calligraphy and handicrafts. The turquoise stone of Iran has been popular around the world for about 2000 years and those who have been looking for beauty pay a special attention to this luxurious stone. It has a shade of colors ranging from blue to green based on its location. When a place has more copper, the number of blue turquoise stones will be more. In a place with more aluminum, green turquoise is more common. A yellow-green turquoise can be found in places with more zinc .
Persian turquoise stone is very well-known around the world. Neishabour, situated in northeast of Iran, is the main place to find turquoise from 4000 B.C. Most turquoise of its mines is exported to different countries around the world. As this city was located in the Silk Road, the souvenir of this city was easily transferred to different cities from long ago.
Some documents show that this stone was the first stone which was used in jewelries. Some people believe that turquoise will bring luck and health if you have it with yourself; so its medical, religious and artistic values get the attention of a large number of people .
Process of Making Firoozeh Koobi (Turquoise)
Isfahan handicrafts have had an exquisite name during the history, so people of different nations are familiar with them and tried to have a collection of these products in their homes. In order to make a great Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise) product, two steps should be followed; one of them in goldsmith and the other one is related to the turquoise part. Here are the details relarted to each step :
The first step which is called goldsmith refers to preparing a product made of copper, brass, silver, nickel, or bronze; as the following:
• The object (i.e., a dish or a piece of jewelry) is selected and formed
• The part which is going to have turquoise is demarked
• A metal stand is put around the object
• It is situated in a distance about 2 or 3 mm above the surface of the object
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: This step makes the artwork more attractive and the turquoise part stronger. The second step refers to the correct placement of turquoise stones on the surface of the product; as the following:
• Waste turquoise chips are bought from different workshops in Neishabour, Mashhad and Damghan
• Turquoise chips are cleaned to separate soil and other stones
• Turquoise chips are sorted according to their sizes
• The copper product should be heated in a 30 degrees centigrade furnace
• A walnut lac is sprinkled on the body of the product while heating
• Walnut lac powder is melted to cover the place which is going to be stuck with turquoise
• Turquoise chips with similar sizes are stuck on the product’s surface when the lac is sticky
• Turquoise stones are pressed by hand to stick firmly on the body of the copper dish
• Emery is used to polish turquoise chips and the copper product
• The metal parts of the product should be burnished to remove the opaque layer
• Turquoise part of the product should be burnished
• Turquoise surface is polished with oil in the workshop to be shiny
There should be no gap between the turquoise stones. It is possible to put smaller stones between them in order to fill the space. The steps of sticking turquoise will be repeated until the time there is no space between the stones. A Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise) product has a higher value if the stones are put in a regular pattern and without any spaces between them .
Some General Information about Firoozeh Koobi (Turquoise)
Firoozeh Koobi turquoise inlaying is among popular handicrafts of Isfahan. It is a luxurious art which has a great harmony of red copper and green and blue turquoise. There are a lot of handicrafts which can be made by the art of Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise) which is done in Isfahan. Some of them are as the following :
• Jewelry
• Jewelry box
• Mirror
• Candlesticks
• Sugar pot
• Sweet dish
• Fruit dish
• Pitcher
• Plate
• Photo frame
• Bowl
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: Among all mentioned products, a Firoozeh Koobi sweet dish and a turquoise fruit dish are really popular because they can be a luxurious choice to serve guests. In addition, you can put a Firoozeh koobi sugar pot at the tray while serving tea to make your guests surprised. Women, especially young girls, are keen on wearing turquoise jewelry sets or getting a gift in a Firoozeh Koobi Box. Some people who want to marry prefer to buy a set of Firoozeh Koobi mirror and candlesticks because they like its color and beauty.
Nowadays, most of the Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise) products are made of copper because it is strong enough and it can make a nice harmony with the colors of stones.
If you intend to buy one of the mentioned products made by this art, you need to know some details to buy a high quality one:
• Try to select a dish with some regular and similar turquoise stones.
• The surface of the product should not have any rough parts.
• Coated polyester should be bubble-free and clear.
• Turquoise stones should not be restored and painted.
Every kind of Firoozeh Koobi (turquoise) product can be kept for a long time if you pay attention to the following tips :
• It is better not to put this product in wet and humid weather conditions.
• You should keep it in a dry and cool place.
• You should avoid putting this product under pressure and hit.
• It is suggested to keep sharp things away from this product.
• You can clean it with a dry cloth.
