18-19th Centuries Iranian Metalwork from the Georgian National Museum

The present paper is focused on the analysis of Qajar style metalwork. The aim of the research is to examine and determine the main characteristics, peculiarities and factors which have led to the development of this deeply original style. The original research is based on the examination of Qajar type metalwork kept in the Oriental Art Department of the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts, Georgian National Museum. Metalwork has always been one of the most important fields of decorative- applied art for Islamic culture. Evidence of this is also apparent in 18th-19th century Iranian (so called Qajar) metalwork, which clearly reveals the exceptional characteristics of Iranian artistic tradition. There has always been great demand for metalwork objects throughout different Islamic eras, and the Qajar period (1796-1925) is no exception to this. During the reign of the newly arrived Turkic Qajar dynasty in Iran in the 18th -19th centuries, the socio-political situation could be described as a politically toxic and unstable situation, full of dramatic events. In this period Western civilization (England, Russia, and France) permeated Iran more widely and deeply than in earlier times and the proliferation of European fashion and style began in local society. In contrast to the poor and underprivileged situation of the country, art in this period flourished and became more popular. This art can be defined as completely eclectic and unified the newly adopted European artistic elements with firmly rooted archaic Iranian traditions. Qajar artistic and aesthetic style had particular aspects and attitudes that became apparent in almost every category and type of art and craftsmanship. These eclectic and archaic approaches were harmoniously combined in all artifacts created in that time

Keywords:

Qajar , Metalwork , Iranian Art , Islamic Art