Iran Islamic metal ain Middle Ages (Iran National Museum and Reza Abbasi Museum collections)

In our study on the metal artworks of Iran, a key region in terms of research on art production in the Islamic geography, 88 works exhibited in important museums of Iran, which have not been adequately introduced in domestic and foreign sources, were examined. After carefully scanning and analysing museum inventory records, numerous domestic and foreign sources providing information on this subject, as well as photographs of the artworks, these pieces were classified, and catalogue information was prepared in terms of type and chronology. To make our study more productive and qualitative, important sources on pre-Islamic metal art in Iranian territory were searched, and the techniques and styles achieved by ancient civilizations were identified. The 88 works we examined demonstrate diversity in terms of their types; they consist of functional objects such as lighting fixtures, kitchenware, writing tools, and boxes, and within their own categories, they are made using different forms and techniques. These pieces were produced from gold, silver, copper, bronze (an alloy of copper and tin), brass (an alloy of copper and zinc), and iron ores. During the manufacturing process, techniques such as hammering and casting were used, and during the decoration phase, techniques such as chasing, engraving, embossing, piercing, niello, inlay, and gilding were employed. The decorations of the artworks in our study utilized the aforementioned techniques individually as well as in combination. It can be suggested that chasing and engraving were the most commonly used techniques from the Early Islamic period to the end of the Ilkhanid period. In the Seljuk and Ilkhanid periods, it is observed that the inlay technique became widespread and developed parallel to simpler techniques like chasing and engraving. When examining the decorations of the examples we have studied, it is noteworthy that during this period, the most common motifs were calligraphy, vegetal, and geometric patterns, with animal and human figures being added in a stylized manner to these motifs after the Seljuk period. While the decorations of metal works in the early periods consisted of a band inscription and a few vegetal motifs, they became more concentrated and covered the entire surface of the artwork with complex compositions in later periods. Over time, there were advancements in the designs of calligraphic characters used in inscriptions, and the types of scripts employed were Kufic, Thuluth, and Naskh scripts. In the content of inscriptions, besides auspicious prayers and wishes, poetry, and advice in Arabic and various forms of Kufic or Thuluth scripts, there are also Persian poems and praises written in Sulus or Naskh scripts. In the early periods, the name of the patron was seen in plain Kufic in texts containing well-wishes, while in later periods, inscriptions created by skilled craftsmen or directly conveying the construction date were executed in Naskh script, often in less visible parts of the artwork.