What are the best handicrafts in Isfahan province?
The province’s traditional economy is based on handicrafts such as carpet weaving, silk weaving, engraving, woodcarving, goldsmithing, inlaid embroidery, tapestry, miniature, pottery, enameling, metalworking, carpeting, turquoise-making, silver-making, tiling, engraving and polishing. Embroidery is one of the beautiful industries of Isfahan, which is also flourishing in the tourism sector today.
Isfahan’s handicrafts have been introduced as the representative of the original art of the Iranian people in the world for many centuries. Therefore, if we call Isfahan the cradle of Iranian handicrafts, we have not said too much. Because the intellectual and psychological characteristics of Isfahani craftsmen such as taste, art, perseverance and contentment have caused Isfahan handmade products not only to have many buyers in Iran but also travelers and tourists and foreign enthusiasts seeking Isfahan handicrafts with features Be specific to it.
Enamels
Mina Kari is a very original art with a long history, which is one of the traditional arts and crafts of Isfahan. Enameling can be done on metals such as silver, gold and copper, which are mostly done on copper today. The first step in the production of enamelware is to make the desired container. Usually, skilled blacksmiths make methods such as bending and hammering dishes such as plates, bowls, pots, jars, cans, etc., and after cleaning with dilute sulfuric acid, it is ready to glaze. In the next step, to prepare enamel dishes for painting, glaze should be made. For this purpose, the color of the prepared glaze should be sprayed on the dishes 3 or 4 times, and after each spray, the color of the dishes should be placed in the oven to a temperature of 750. Bake at 800 degrees Celsius.
At this stage, Master Minakar paints the glazed dishes with special enamel paints and delicate brushes, and various designs are worked on the dishes, and after painting and enameling on the dishes, they are put back in the oven at 600 degrees. The colors are cooked and the work is done.
Khatam
Another handicraft of Isfahan is inlay work. The art dates back to the Safavid era, when palaces, tables and chairs, and the recitation of the Qur’an were completed. The art of decorating the surface of objects with small triangles is called embossing in various designs. These triangles are made of ivory, bone, brass wire, wood and sometimes gold. Khatam of Isfahan is sometimes accompanied by silver or enamel work.
Woodcarving
The word woodcarving means a special carving on wood that has a long history, perhaps the beginning of the history of woodcarving from the time when man first carved wood with a winning tool. At present, the art of woodcarving is still popular and is practiced by many artists in different parts of Iran, but unfortunately, the use of original designs, which include Islamic and Khatai designs or flowers and plants, is gradually being forgotten and replaced by foreign designs. Takes.
In a kind of this art, instead of carving the background of the wood and emphasizing the desired role, they put different woods with different natural colors of the cut side. This is very similar to mosaic art. In this new species, boxwood is used for yellow and jujube for red. The work is more than walnut wood or the roots of forest trees, which have beautiful motifs. The most important inlay material is wood. This wood must be strong and without knots.
carpet weaving
One of the handicrafts of Isfahan is carpet weaving. Isfahan was one of the major centers of carpet weaving during the Safavid period. There were many workshops in the city where gold-plated carpets were woven. Isfahan suffered a lot in the Afghan sedition and lost many of its artists and craftsmen, but after a while it was able to regain its original prosperity. During the Qajar period, Isfahan carpet weaving was revived. The number of colors selected in Isfahan carpets is very limited. Isfahan’s carpet knots are Persian and its pair is not small. Natural dyes are very low consumption and are mostly used in good carpets with dental chemical dyes. There are more or less carpet weavers in the villages around Isfahan. The carpets and rugs of Shah Abbasi design and other designs of Isfahan are woven on these carpets
Tapestry
One of the handicrafts of Isfahan, which has a great artistic value and the production of its products requires extraordinary elegance and precision, is tapestry production, and the products produced by the craftsmen of this field show their rich taste. Today’s tapestry art is a product of working with silver and copper, which has become a narrow product, and by spending extraordinary time and precision, and the skill and artistry of tapestry, it has been connected and connected by using traditional paintings and Islamic designs. Is. Silver ingots are narrowed with hammers or rollers in the form of quadrangular wires, and first make small maps; They are then placed together in a mold and soldered with lower grade silver.
Tiling
Tile making is one of the main handicrafts of Isfahan. In these products, the features of old designs and roles are well preserved, and even today, there are many demanders. Another art that is done by using tiles in this province is mosaic tile, which is cutting and crushing the tiles and putting them together. Since the roles that are applied on the tiles are somewhat complicated, the tile Instruments can’t mentally draw them, so craftsmen recommend the designs to designers. After the design is prepared, the craftsmen apply it to the tile. For this purpose, the desired design is placed on a simple tile that has been prepared before and then the needle is inserted on the design lines. In this way, the map lines remain in the place of the needle, which is shaped by pouring charcoal dust on the created holes. And the desired design is transferred to the tile. After that, the lines are painted according to taste and put in the oven for cooking. From now on, the product will be ready to be marketed.
Etching
Engraving is the embellishment and engraving of designs on metal objects, especially copper, gold, silver, brass, or in other words, the creation of lines and motifs by hammering on metal objects. This art has a long history and reflects the culture and civilization of the Iranian people. Today, for engraving, the desired inside or under the container or tray is filled with bitumen and gypsum solution so that the noise of the pen is less audible and also prevents the container from being punctured during operation. Then draw the desired role on the dish and beat with a suitable pen. After creating the roles, the bitumen is separated, charcoal pollen is poured on the grooves, and the dish is covered with black polish oil.
Embroidery and all kinds of decorative stitching
Isfahani women artists are extremely skilled in arts such as embroidery, crocheting, embroidery and tapestry embroidery. Give these masterpieces to those you love as souvenirs.