History
Due to the very old civilization, rich culture and geographical location, Iran plays an important role in the world of arts and crafts. Iranians were among the first nations who use geometry, astronomy and mathematics in architecture and have wonderful skills in making massive domes; the whole of which are manifested in the structure of bazaars and mosques and traditional structures remained of the past.
In fact, Iranian Handicraft has its roots in the rural crafts and ancient civilizations; many of which, practiced for centuries. While others are modern inventions, or popularization of specified crafts originally practiced in a limited geographic area.
A Rainbow of Diversity
Iranian handicraft is one of the most significant artistic industries deeply rooted in the culture and history of this land. These arts with a very wide range of diversity and containing a high situation among the world’s handicraft industry, reflect a 5,000-year-old cultural tradition with a significant development over history. The most famous Iranian handicrafts are:
1. ARCHITECTURE
Iran’s architecture goes back to the seventh millennium before Christ, developed for different reasons especially religious ones. Iranian architecture featuring specific qualities such as suitable drawing, precise mathematic calculations, respecting technological and scientific issues in the building, high terraces, elevated pillars and finally various designs, is now one of the rarest prettiest one, beautifully introducing the glory of the Iranian deep culture.
2. Persian Carpet and Rug Weaving
Persian rugs and carpets are produced with a heavy textile and for different uses, and symbolic purposes, as the best specialized Iranian handicrafts.
In Persian culture and Iranian art, carpet weaving has a special part and among the countries producing oriental carpets, that of Iranian stands out due to its qualification, variety and unique designs.
Ghalamkar
This art as another Iranian handicrafts is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile made in Iran and India. Drying with a pen and using only natural colors, which involves seventeen steps.
Iranian Handicraft of Terme
A kind of a cloth woven with proper wool, that have long fibers. The process also includes preparing wool, washing and dying it, which is one of the most important steps.Terme is a valuable textile with various usages and patterns. Weaving Terme is a very tender, careful and time-consuming work.
Persian embroidery
The other one of Iranian handicraft that uses floral motifs particularly Persian figures and patterns, relating to hunting and animals.
Almost all its types in which the design covers the entire work, were of the earlier Persian embroideries. The importance of the varied silks of the needle work shouldn’t be forgotten. Persian embroidery is worked in darning-stitch on cotton or loosely woven linen.
Zaridozi
This art includes decorating fabrics, arranged by sewing golden stiches. In fact, it is a type of metal embroidery that involves making intricate designs utilizing gold and silver threads with pearls and exquisite stones.
3. Metal works
Khatam Kari
This Iranian handicraft of Meticulous marquetry consists of the production of incrustation patterns with thin sticks of wood or bones. Sticks in polygonal shapes are glued in a strict order.The sections made would be ready to be plated and glued on the object for decoration: such as jewelry boxes, cadres, chessboards, desks, frames,…
Mina Kari
Mina-kari is s another form of Iranian handicraft is some sort of glasslike colored coat stabilized by heat on different metals especially copper; one of the distinguished courses of art which has been paid high attention by goldsmiths and painters. Dishes, vases, frames and boxes are the objects of today’s performed enamel working.
Toreutics (Ghalam Zani)
Artistic metalworking that consists of hammering gold or silver, engraving and chasing to form meticulous reliefs or small patterns and claims great antiquity since it was practiced in the Bronze Age and was stablished centuries before the Shaft Tombs.
4. Wood works
Moarragh
Iranian handicraft of Moarragh in a way is similar to Musaic work. The art of putting pieces of wood together, one by one in a quite delicate mode, to form an artistic work; each piece of which, from different kinds and colors. Moarragh is practiced with different materials such as stone but the most regular is the wood.
Wood Carving
Through this art, by means of a cutting tool or a chisel and a mallet, a wooden figure or a sculptural ornamentation of a wooden object is created, so tender, and so eye-catching.The making of Iranian handicraft of wood sculptures that forms a significant hidden element in the history of many culture’s art, are nowadays much less practiced than the other materials such as bronze and stone.
5. Tile working
Tile making in various methods such as luster-painted tiles, polychrome tiles, mosaic tiles, etc. are still current.
The main material is brick that is cheap and easily accessible. The beauty of structures and colorful shining works of art are made by the glazed tiles.
Turquois Inlaying
Small pieces of turquoise are set in mosaic fashion on parts of the surface including copper, silver or brass object, which gives the object a special glamor. Turquoise inlaying is performed on jewelry and making containers that includes two general stages of goldsmith and turquoise inlaying.
The important point in this Iranian handicraft are is the correct installation of turquoise chips on metal surfaces while burnishing the work so that the chips do not come off. Also if the turquoise chips are installed without a space between them, that piece of turquoise inlaid work will be of more artistic value.
6. Calligraphy
Persian calligraphy is the tender art of the Persian language manifestation and one of the most revered arts throughout history of Iran, known as one of Iranian handicrafts.Calligraphy is almost everywhere, but it is on the top of the visual arts in the East, Islamic lands and Iran. Islamic calligraphy and Iranian calligraphy are a wonderful balance of its elements and segments. The balance between the utility and the mobility; the balance between the frame and the context that can make a suitable shape for various meanings.