Sofalineh

Sofalineh

The Art of Zarkeshi and Related Skills

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Elahe Moblian
Master's degree, Department of Islamic Art, Faculty of Religions and Civilizations, Isfahan University of Arts, Isfahan, Iran.
Abstract
Zarkeshi is one of the traditional professions related to handicrafts, in which the craftsman, after melting the silver ingot into a thick silver wire, covers it with a thin gold sheet, and by ironing in several stages, the wire is twisted into hundreds of meters of fibers (thread) and converts thin gold and silver. This profession is of great importance in order to provide raw materials for many handicraft fields. Despite being several thousand years old and the deep influence of this profession in the formation and completion of many handicraft fields; moreover, due to reasons such as people's lack of familiarity with this profession and the importation of cheap foreign handicrafts and golden and silver plastic fibers, as well as the difficulty and labor of production, this art has gradually lost its past value. The current research has been carried out in a descriptive and analytical way while relying on data from library sources and field observations. Research shows that since golden and silver fibers of different thickness and shapes are used in the production of twenty-seven handicraft threads, these threads owe their existence to this profession. In terms of shape and appearance, the fibers are used in four ways in these fields; including: 1- simple and round shapes, which are the same as the initial shape of the wire after winding. 2- flat and wide shapes that are obtained by passing the round wire through the knitting or rolling machine known as the Naghdeh thread. 3- flat and wide shapes that are wrapped around the silk thread and the Golabton thread is obtained. 4- springy and hollow shapes with elasticity obtained by twisting the Naghdeh thread around a rotating iron rod.

Research aims:
1. Researching the background of the arts related to Zarkeshi in Iran.
2. Investigating the types of arts related to Zarkeshi in Iran.

Research questions:
1. How old is the art of Zarkeshi?
2. Which arts in Iran are related to Zarkeshi?
Keywords
Zarkeshi
Related Profession
Metal Fibers
Glass-Toning
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Sofalineh
Volume 1, Issue 1
March 2025
Pages 147-171