Copper Persian Enamel Plate, 30 cm
This handmade Persian enamel plate makes striking wall decor in the true Persian Heritage tradition. Minakari, the art of enamel working and decorating copper with colourful baked coats, is one of the distinguished courses of art in Persian Heritage, and every plate leaves the workshop slightly different from the last. It hangs well on its own, sits happily among other Persian plates, and makes a generous Persian decor gift.
Item description:
- Artwork: Mina
- Production: Handmade
- Object: Mina plate
- Plates Dia. 30 cm
- Origin: Persian
- Plate material: Copper
- Coating: Enameled coating and metal oxide painting
- Please note No two handmade items are exactly alike.
About the artwork: Mina, Persian enamel
The artwork you are purchasing is called Mina, with a rich history of around 5000 years. Mina means blue in the ancient Persian language, and the blue in this artwork is a symbol of heaven’s sky. Blue remains the traditional colour, although contemporary Mina handcrafts are also found in a variety of colours these days, such as green, grey and pink, which is why an Persian enamel plate can suit both classic and modern rooms.
Mina is the art of painting and colouring the surface of metal objects. The paint is in most cases prepared from metal oxide powders, mixed with special oils and solvents to form a creamy paint; different metal oxides produce different colours.
The objects themselves, mainly copper, are shaped by hammering and forming, in a long list of shapes including vases, plates and containers. Each piece is cleaned thoroughly before being covered with a white enamel coating, since even minor dirt, hand oil or moisture could cause a crack in the final product. The enamelled object is then baked in the furnace at around 700° in a few stages.
Once the object is baked and cooled, the uniquely designed pattern of each item is transferred to its surface. The design is usually drawn on paper first, small holes are punched close together along the lines, and graphite powder marks the pattern onto the metal through them. The white coated copper is then painted carefully and artistically by hand. This stage is the spirit of Mina: the artist spends a great deal of time on the details, trying to make each piece unique, modern and beautiful.
The final object is baked again at around 800° to stabilise the colour. Because the paints are metal based and kiln fired, the Mina colour is stable, washable and anti-scratch. If you would like a companion piece from the same craft, the Elegant Copper Persian Enamel Plate 30cm pairs naturally with this one.
