As an American I was somewhat concerned about visiting Iran, despite assurances that Americans are warmly welcomed. Indeed I was! My status as an American was never an issue and actually seemed to delight those who approached me. Nor was my gender a deterrent. Iranian women are full participants in society and with my headscarf firmly in place, I was too. I had the privilege of visiting Iran in November 2006. Never has a ... More
Handicrafts of Iran
Iranians have always admired noble life. While holding to simplicity, they would also want to live in a beautiful environment and to be in touch with beautiful objects. This mindset has contributed to the creation of various handicrafts for use in every-day life.
Iran’s traditional arts have survived the passage of time to the present day. At times, Iranians have inspired artists of different nations. Next time when you present a perfume bottle to a friend or loved one, remember that the history of your gift goes back to Iranian artists who would create elaborated perfume bottles for nobles.
There are approximately 320 Iranian handcrafts, some of them have 9000 thousand years of historical background. These include various textile arts, metalwork, pottery, woodwork and leatherwork, among others.
Iranian handicrafts fall into the following categories:
I. Textile Arts such as traditional braiding and the production of hand-woven textiles like carpets, druggets, and traditional Gilīm, Gabbeh and Varni etc.
II. Metalworking and traditional chiseling III. Pottery and ceramic arts
IV. Glass blowing V. Wood-working, Mo\\\\\\\'arraq, Monabbat etc.
VI. Leather products VII. Jewelry and related arts
