Minakari on pottery is a combination of the two great arts of pottery and minakari. The art of minakari is done by creating designs and patterns on metals such as gold, silver, copper, and jewelry. It is used to inspire a kind of relaxation.
The art of pottery is to make clay pots. These pots are heated at a high temperature in the kiln to harden and solidify.
To enamel on pottery, the artist must have a complete mastery of the art of minakari, painting, and the art of pottery.
The method of producing minakari on pottery is different from that of copper, although the patterns used in pottery, especially Islamic designs, are used in the preparation of minakari on pottery.
In the past, this art was used to decorate mosques and religious places. Also, enamel designs were applied to pottery and made them more attractive. These dishes have both decorative and functional aspects.
In short, to prepare minakari on pottery, the following steps are performed:
1- Smoothing and polishing the work surface
After preparing the desired pottery such as plates, bowls, glasses, sugar, etc., their surface is smooth, polished, and uniform by sanding. Doing this is very important for the next step.
2- Division of work surface
To create symmetry in the design, the work surface should be evenly divided so that the distance between the designs is equal after stenciling.
3- stenciling
At this stage, implement your chosen design on the work surface with a special template and ink.
4- Draw a black pen
A black pen is used to prevent the glaze from coming out of the borders specified in the design. The black pen is a combination of graphite and glue. The beauty of the product is reduced
5- Glazing
After the black pen, the most important step is glazing, because it requires a lot of care. The inside of the designs should be filled with glaze and there should be no space between them. Glazing can be done in several stages to be done more accurately. Another step in this stage is to choose glaze colors that should have the necessary harmony with each other. This issue is achieved with experience over time. In this case, you can get help from experts in this field.
6-Heating
At this stage, small pieces of glass are poured on the pottery, which makes it waterproof and shiny. After that, the dishes are placed in the oven to be so-called baked. The heat stabilizes the color and glazes in the pottery.
How to maintain pottery with minakari
Because pottery is very delicate and fragile, great care must be taken in using them, because it may be cracked or destroyed by the impact. A damp cloth can be used to clean them.
Also, do not expose these dishes to extreme heat or heat as they may crack.
Manufacturers of pottery in Iran
Lalejin is one of the tourism hubs of Hamedan province and is known as the center of pottery and ceramics in the Middle East and even the world.
According to the official announcement of the Office of the President of the World Council of Handicrafts, Mashhad(IRAN) was selected as the world city of precious stones and Lalejin (HAMEDAN, IRAN) as the world city of pottery (Wikipedia)
About eighty percent of the city’s population is engaged in pottery and the arts related to pottery.
One of the reasons for the employment of the people of this land in the pottery profession is the existence of high-quality clay around this city.
Lalejin is one of the main centers for selling all kinds of pottery and ceramics in Iran and even in the world. The artists of this city export their products to all cities of Iran and even other countries of the world
What should be considered when buying minakari on pottery?
- At first glance, the first thing to consider when buying pottery is its appearance. Containers should be healthy without cracking, especially at the edges. Also, glazing should be done carefully.
- Considering the weight of the product, which should be proportional to its height. Its low weight will make it brittle.
- Painting on the surfaces of dishes should be symmetrical and uniform.
- Elegance and type of design have a great effect on the price of the product, and the more accurately and delicately the glaze is done, the greater its artistic value.
- The signature of the product and mentioning such things as the name of the artist and the place of the owner of the work is a sign of the authenticity of the product and the most important factor in identifying quality products.
- Purchasing from the agency and reputable stores. Due to the variety and frequency of production of this product, it is possible to get rid of the worries of providing a quality product by identifying reputable stores.
Difference between minakari on copper and pottery
1- minakari products on copper are more expensive than the enamel on pottery, and this is because copper metal is more expensive. Of course, this can be an advantage for minakari on pottery, because at a lower cost, a beautiful work of art can be given as a gift and souvenir to others, even kept at home as artistic decorative utensils.
2- The fragility of minakari on pottery is far greater than that on copper and requires more care.
3- The variety of colors in minakari on pottery is more than in minakari on copper. In minakari on copper, the predominant color is blue and in pottery, the variety of colors is much greater.
It should be noted that minakari on pottery is also referred to as embossed glaze and the producers of this art know it by this name.
