FIROOZEH KOOBI TURQUOISE ON COPPER VASE
Turquoise inlaying on copper, known as Firooze Koobi, is one of the distinguished courses of art in Persian Heritage, and this turquoise copper vase is a classic of the craft. Small pieces of turquoise (Firoozeh) are set in a mosaic fashion across a hand-engraved and sawed copper body, so the surface shimmers between blue stone and warm metal. Few pieces say persian copper vase quite so clearly, and at 22 cm it sits comfortably on a shelf, windowsill or dressing table. This turquoise vase takes its colour from pieces of Persian turquoise stone set into the copper, not from glaze.
This vase has been hand made by an artisan based in Persian Heritage using different techniques such as Ghalamzani, Khatam Kari and hand sawing.
Item description:
Artwork: Firoozeh Koobi
Production: Handmade
Object: Vase
Height: 22cm
Origin: Persian
Material: Copper. Persian Turquoise Stone
Coating: Enameled coating
Please note no two handmade items are exactly alike, which is exactly why an Persian vase like this becomes a family keepsake.
About the artwork:
The finishing on this piece 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 symbolises heaven’s sky. Although blue is the traditional colour, contemporary Mina handcrafts can be found in greens, greys, pinks and more.
Mina is the art of painting and colouring the surface of metal objects. The paint is prepared in most cases from metal oxide powders mixed with special oils and solvents to form a creamy paint, and different metal oxides produce different colours.
The objects themselves, mainly copper, are created by hammering and forming, then cleaned thoroughly before being covered with a white enamel coating. Cleanliness matters greatly at this stage, since even minor dirt, hand oil or moisture can cause a crack in the final product. The enamelled object is then baked in the furnace at around 700° in a few stages.
Once baked and cooled, the unique pattern of each item is transferred to the surface by punching small holes along a paper drawing and marking the lines with graphite powder. The white-coated copper is then painted carefully by hand, the stage that carries the true spirit of Mina, before a final firing at around 800° stabilises the colour. The result is stable, washable and scratch resistant.
Discover more Firoozeh koobi by Persis Collection, including the larger copper flower vase 30cm.
