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Minakari art called miniature of fire as well is the decoration of metal and tile with mina glaze. Mina is the substrate of glass or other transparent materials which is used to decorate and beautify the metal or tile. This material is a combination of azure paint and enamel paint, etc. which is put in furnace and is set out when it is transparent like bruise color glass. In another word metallic body is painted and decorated in the colors and then colors are stabilized at high temperature.

The process of making is not that complicated. First metallic substrate like copper, silver or brass is chosen and is formed by expert coppersmith. As a matter of fact this layer is the infrastructure of enamel, In that past enamel had been made with tile, ceramic or glass, but nowadays copper is more usual because it is malleable and flexible. (It should be noted that new and first hand copper layer is better than recycled one). Then body is covered with a white glaze by dipping technique. After this step, pure metal, which glaze being eaten on is cooked at maximum temperature of 750 ° C and then body is re-coated with higher quality glaze and is heated for the second time. This function usually is done three to four times.

The greatest master of enameling of Isfahan is Shokrollah Sanizadeh, whose ancestor was a renowned painter. One of the invaluable works of this master was used for printing a stamp for commemorating Iranian handicrafts in 2008-9 and registered as national heritage. The original objet d’art is being kept at the Museum of Traditional Arts and Handicrafts.

Generally, enamel glaze contents are included: Silicon, Magnesium, Potassium, Lead, precious stones, Feldspar, Kaolin, Zirconium, Boric acid, and Tin. Then, glazed and heated metal body is ready for any kind of design and creativity and it depends on the creativity of artist to how paint on it. This step is called painting with magic colors.

These colors include:1- A white glaze: Tin, lead crystal, flint2-Turquoise color :Tin, lead crystal, flint, copper shingle3-Yellow: Iron oxide, tin oxide and lead oxide4-Black: Iron oxide , manganese dioxide, lead, cobalt oxide5-Red violet: Crystal, ammonium nitrate and dissolved gold6-Green: Copper shingle, flint glass (stone), lead chromate7-Brown: Chromium oxide green, iron oxide, zinc oxide8- Blue: Cobalt oxide zinc oxide, flint

British Museum

Enamel plates after painting is sent back to the furnace but this time temperature is less than before and it is about 600 C. So, colors are well desired from artistic point of view. In the past which minakari was not so pervasive, just inorganic dyes were used in this art, but nowadays chemical colors are used as well.

The criteria which could affect the quality of enamel are; appropriate metal, decoration, standard heating, and finally elegance and accuracy of artist.Some known and abundant damages in minakari, include: damaging of the edges of body caused by mechanical impacts or lack of appropriate heating in furnace, abnormality in metal base (such as having a streak in the metal layer) or lack of strong junction between different layers

The copper is a first material of enameling and is prepared from copper mines of Kerman city in form of 60x200 cm sheets with 0.8 to 1.5 mm thickness. Then this sheet is cut to special sizes and copper smiths give shape to them by bending and hammering in form of different kinds of vessels. Then carvers emboss the surface of vessels by hammer and chisel. This embossed surface is washed by sulphuric acid and so, the copper is become clean and shiny.

The Isfahanian artists, having been inspired by their traditional plans as arabesque, khataii (flowers and birds) and using fireproof paints and special brushes, have made painting of Isfahan monuments such as step, the enameled material is put into the furnace again and heated at five hundred degrees. This causes the enameled painting to be stabilized on the undercoat, creating a special "shining" effect. Most of today's enamel workings are performed on dishes, vases, boxes and frames in various size.

Schemes and Patterns

Different kinds of local and domestic symmetrical patterns are used in final paintings of “enamel like; “eslimi” which is the one the well-known Islamic pattern and is used in traditional architecture as well, painting with one color as the background and then using bright goldish colors on it, making an scheme by using very fine pen to make miniature pattern and beautify the background with green, blue or brown color, making a scheme on colorful heated body by using goldish mina color. This scheme beauty is very valuable based on heating times and artist‘s accuracy. Last scheme is calligraphy on the body before cooking, and then stabilizing the mina by heating in the furnace.

Maintenance Tips about the enamel

Greatest danger which treats an enamel is separation of decorated surface because of mechanical shock. So attention should be taken in the transportation. If a part of enamel was separated it should be repaired immediately otherwise it causes other parts to be separated too. Last point in maintaining is enamel could be washed by warm water and sponge and it doesn’t make any problem for it, because the enamel is covered with transparent glaze.

In Iran, the most ancient enameling work belongs to the achaemenian dynasty. This art hadn’t progressed until safavid dynasty. But in Qajar dynasty, this art was on top. Since, the kings and ruler concerned about the art, poem, music and they paid special attention to the artists, poets, musicians and supported them. So this art improved and progressed day by day. At present, the enameling works in various sizes or colours in Isfahan.

Antique Persiansilver vases

Sound: Hossein Alizadeh & Djivan Gasparyan – Birds

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