Durable and pliable, metal can be decorated in any style. It was and continues to be the preferred material for craftsmen in the Middle East. The material heritage of Eastern cultures includes iron octagonal tables, intricate lanterns and incense burners, as well as elegant inlaid trays, cases, and intricately decorated jugs of various shapes.
Engraving, gilding, niello, inlay, carving and filigree are just a few of the techniques used for decorating metal household items and weapons in an artistic manner.
The Collection of Foreign Art presents items made in the traditional Persian technique of engraving on copper. One of them is a large, engraved vase with a high leg that is decorated with fine hammered patterns and intricate openwork. The top rim is smooth.
Artistic metalworking in Ancient Persia reached a high level of sophistication. Artisans still use ancient techniques and decorative motifs in the design of products. Just like hundreds of years ago, these decorative motifs include traditional scenes of royal hunting by horseback and festivities at the court.
The eastern art of engraving, exemplified by many exquisitely decorated vessels, has long been renowned. In Iran, “engraving on copper” is considered to be one of the oldest arts. Even today, when researching settlements that have been buried in the sand for thousands of years, archaeologists continue to unearth copper dishes and handcrafted products.
Today, in addition to copper, craftsmen utilize various materials such as gold and silver. The skill of engravers, who create intricate designs, is so advanced that a “gram of their work” may be worth more than a gram of either gold or silver. It can take several years for a skilled artist to make a single vase. Figures of people and animals on such “paintings on metal” have a magnificent lifelike quality, and every inch of the vessel features some form of ingenious decoration.
The most challenging aspect of this art is achieving a realistic portrayal of human faces. “Roses and nightingales” are easier to depict. If an artist creates a painting, they can always erase or alter a misplaced stroke. However, a single misstep during the engraving process is nearly impossible to rectify.
