Explaining the Technical and Artistic Features of Engraving in Prominent Regions of Contemporary Iran

Although the art of engraving such as engraving on metal ware is one of the methods of creating patterns, but a systematic study of its technical and artistic features has not been undertaken. This art, like many other arts in the Qajar era, has declined but has continued to this day. Despite such decline, the passage of time has granted the art of metalworking special dynamism and meaning. Outstanding cities in art of engraving in contemporary Iran are Tabriz, Zanjan, Tabas, Kerman, and Yazd. This article aims to explain the technical and artistic features of engraving in these cities and to elaborate on the technical and artistic characteristics of art of engraving in these cities. This research is fundamental in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method and nature. The method of data collection is library study as well as field study. The findings of this study indicate that the designs of Tabriz’s Kandak, Tabas’s pelicans and palms, Kerman’s simple designs, and Yazd’s flowers and chickens are unique. Mother steel rods, chisel, and shadow in Tabriz, single steel rod, pair, and delma in Zanjan, red rod, white rod, and single rod in Tabas and Roro rod in Kerman have been used for various users in design and motif.Electrolysis electroplating in Yazd has granted appealing appearance to the metal.Some of these motifs have turned into symbols in the aforementioned cities, while some others are going to be gradually forgotten. However, there are some others still practiced.