The art of tapestry embroidery in Iran: jewel struck on fabric
Tapestry embroidery is one of the delicate and valuable Iranian handicrafts, in which beautiful and complex designs are sewn on the fabric using gold, silver or various alloys. Due to its elegance and brilliance, this art is likened to jewels struck on cloth.
The history of tapestry in Iran
The roots of tapestry in Iran go back to ancient times. The works obtained from the ancient civilizations of Iran show that Iranians have been interested in the art of decorating cloth with metals since long ago. During the Sassanid era, tapestry reached its peak of prosperity and was used to decorate the clothes of nobles and gentlemen.
Materials and tools used in tapestry
- Wire: Wires used in tapestry are usually made of gold, silver, copper or different alloys.
- Fabric: Fabrics such as velvet, silk, satin and linen are used for tapestry.
- Needle: The needle used to sew the tapestry must be very fine and sharp.
- Scissors: used to cut wires.
- Cotton: used to highlight some parts of the design.
Steps of tapestry - Designing the design: First, the desired design is drawn on paper.
- Transferring the design to the fabric: The design is transferred to the fabric using carbon or other methods.
- Preparing the fabric: the fabric is impregnated with the solution of Serish so that the wires stick to it well.
- Tapestry sewing: using a needle and thread, the threads are sewn on the fabric.
- Completion of the work: after finishing sewing, the work is washed and ironed.
Types of tapestry
There are different types of tapestry, each of which has its own characteristics. Some of the famous types of tapestry are: - Flat tapestry: In this type of tapestry, the threads are sewn flat and without ridges on the fabric.
- Embossed tapestry: In this type of tapestry, some parts of the design are highlighted using cotton or other materials.
- Mixed tapestry: In this type of tapestry, a combination of different threads and different techniques are used.
Applications of tapestry
Tapestry has various uses. Among others, we can mention the following: - Dress decoration: local dresses, wedding dresses and formal dresses are decorated with tapestry.
- Decoration of home textiles: tablecloths, pillowcases, curtains and other home textiles are decorated with tapestry.
- Making handicrafts: bags, shoes, paintings and other handicrafts are produced using tapestry.