Enamel literally means blue sky. Enameling is an art with a history of five thousand years, known as the art of fire and soil. This industry is also called the art of decorating metals with colored materials because it is designed with beautiful colors on all kinds of metals. Enameling, as its meaning implies, is inspired by the sky and the blue color. There is no color contrast, and the product is mainly seen in blue and white. Flowers, chickens, Islamic and rotating lines and paisley patterns used in the enamel product are designed and drawn with great elegance and miniature.
One of the greatest Iranian arts is painting, which appears in the form of various arts. Painting on copper utensils is known as enameling on copper. In this eye-catching art, beautiful traditional designs on copper utensils create a wonderful sight.
What is enameling on copper?
Various arts and common handicrafts in Iran have a very high diversity. Enameling is one of the arts of painting that is done on glazed copper utensils. One of the sub-categories and branches of enameling is copper painting and enameling. In copper painting handicrafts, which are more common in Isfahan (a city in Iran), part of the body of copper utensils is painted with beautiful patterns in different colors, especially azure blue and turquoise. Copper paintings, and products made using this art have many fans, and tourists and travelers buy these products as souvenirs for their loved ones. In this art, flowers and plants that are also designed in arts such as gilding and enameling, are painted and enameled on the metal body.
The background color of this design is mostly dark colors such as azure blue, crimson, black, and dark brown. Flowers and delicate processes performed in this art are very similar to the art of enameling. Copper utensils made and used in copper handicrafts should be thick enough. The thickness and purity of copper provides its high strength. One of the properties of copper metal is its combination with oxygen in the air and the so-called oxidation of copper. In the art of copper enameling, a layer of polyester is placed on the copper to prevent it from oxidizing.
Colors used in enameling
- Plant dyes that are also used in chit making (printed cottons)
- Mineral paints used in painting and enameling
- Metal colors that are processed on the object
Enamel vase sizes
Enamel vases are usually available in sizes 16, 20, 25, and 30 cm in the market, and you can buy them in pairs or individually.
Feature of original enamel vases
To ensure the quality of enamel vases, check the following:
- The enamel vase should not be opaque, and its transparency should be appear
- The enamel vase can be washed with hot and cold water, and even with sponges and other detergents
- Enamel vases do not disappear due to heat, and their color do not change
- Enamel vases do not get scratched in the contact with sharp objects
- It is resistant to many acids except for very strong acids such as sulfuric acid
- If your enamel vase falls to the ground, only a small portion of the paint may fade, which can be easily repaired
- If you touch the surface of the enamel vase by hand, you will feel gentle bumps that show the direction of the designs on the vase
A few tips to distinguish original from non-original enamel vases
- The substrate should be smooth, and even with no extra parts
- The edges of the vase are not sharp and winning
- Enamel vases does not have cracks, fractures, bubbles, or holes
- The vase surface has an attractive luster
- Patterns on the vases should be Iranian
- The original enamel vase has an identity, and the name of the artist, and the city where it was made is engraved on it
Enamel vase price
The price of enamel depends on the economic events of the country. Variables such as copper price, paint price, and incidental costs have a direct impact on the final price of Enameled vases. You may be wondering why there are so many types of enamel vases, even though they are the same size. There are several factors involved in determining the price of enamel vases:
- The material of the vase is the most important factor in determining the price of an enamel vase. This material is mainly copper, which can have different grades in terms of quality. Sometimes other metals and even clays are used as the substrate for vases
- The quality of the colors used to produce a vase can be another factor in the price variation of these vases
The skill of the enameller and the degree of delicacy used to create a vase increase the value of the enamel vase.