Iran · Metalwork / Blacksmithing
Ghalamzani ('Ghalam' refers to the engraving tool/pen used in the hammering and chiseling process)
The hammering and chiseling of intricate, beautiful Persian motifs into copper, brass, silver, and gold, directly considered the best-documented Iranian artistic form surviving from the Islamic era. Isfahan is the main center for ghalamzani, with historical archaeological discoveries dating to the Sassanid (circa 700 AD), Seljuk (circa 1100 AD), and Safavid (circa 1600 AD) dynasties, each representing outstanding periods of Iranian metalwork, standing as glorious, undeniable indications of the city's deep metalworking heritage. Following a period of decline, the resumption of this art over the past eighty years is directly credited to the diligent efforts of two named master craftsmen, the late Ostad Mohammad Oraizi and the late Ostad Mohammad Taghi Zufan, whose sustained work created tens of outstanding and distinguished metal engravings while simultaneously training the new generation of practitioners, producing gold- and silver-like goblets and vessels using nickel silver and copper among other metals. The finished engraved motifs, applied to plates, bowls, jars, flower vases, decanters, jugs, frames, mirrors, and pen and envelope holders, directly showcase Persian decorative design language shared across Iran's wider artistic tradition.
Risk level: Vulnerable · Not independently inscribed
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