The Art of Leather Burning in Iran: An Ancient and Noble Craft
Leather burning is a very beautiful and authentic Iranian handicraft that has held a special place throughout history. In this art, various designs are created on leather using hot tools, resulting in beautiful and lasting works.
History of Leather Burning
The roots of leather burning date back to ancient times. In ancient Iran, this art was used to decorate the covers of sacred and precious books. Throughout history, this art gradually evolved and reached its peak of prosperity during the Safavid period.
Steps in Creating Works of Art Using Leather Burning
- Choosing the leather: High-quality leathers with suitable thickness, usually from the skin of animals such as cows, sheep, and goats, are selected.
- Preparing the leather: The raw leather is first tanned and then finished to prepare it for work.
- Designing the pattern: The desired design is carefully drawn on the leather. These designs can include intricate patterns, calligraphy, natural images, or any other design.
- Burning: Using hot tools such as pyrography pens or hot metal molds, the design is burned onto the leather.
- Final processing: After the burning is complete, the leather is finished to give it color and shine.
Tools Used in Leather Burning
- Pyrography pens: These pens come in various sizes and are used to create fine lines and details.
- Metal molds: These molds are used to create repetitive and geometric designs.
- Soldering iron: A soldering iron is also used for burning leather, but it is more difficult to control than pyrography pens.
Applications of Leather Burning Art
- Bookbinding: One of the traditional uses of this art is to decorate the covers of precious books, Qurans, and poetry collections.
- Creating paintings: Today, many artists use this art to create beautiful and unique paintings.
- Making decorative objects: This art is also used to make bags, mobile phone cases, jewelry boxes, and other decorative objects.
Importance of Preserving the Art of Leather Burning
Preserving and reviving this valuable art has many reasons:
- Preserving cultural heritage: This art is part of Iran’s cultural identity and preserving it means preserving the heritage of our ancestors.
- Creating jobs: This art can create jobs and income for artists.
- Promoting tourism: Products made with this art can be offered as local souvenirs to tourists, thereby boosting tourism.