Historical period
Seljuk
سلجوقی1037–1194 · Inlaid metalwork and lustre ceramics flourish; brickwork and tile begin their long partnership with Persian architecture.
Key developments
- Inlaid bronze
- Lustreware
- Brick ornament
- Early tile mosaic
Centres of production
KashanRayyNishapur
Crafts documented in this period
| Craft | Category | In brief |
|---|---|---|
| Qalam-zani | Metalwork | The Iranian tradition of decorating copper, brass and silver vessels with small chisels struck by hammer, working the metal into line, ground and relief. |
| Mina'i ware | Ceramics | A historic overglaze-enamelled stonepaste ware produced mainly in Iran during the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries, decorated with figural and courtly scenes painted in multiple colours applied after glazing and fixed by a low second firing. |
| Inlaid metalwork | Metalwork | Decoration of brass, bronze or steel vessels by setting silver, copper or gold into cut recesses, producing figurative scenes, inscriptions and ornament in contrasting colour. |
| Jewellery and gem setting | Metalwork | Iranian jewellery ranges from gold and gem-set court ornaments to silver tribal adornment, often combining enamel, turquoise, pearls and coloured stones. |
| Glassmaking | Glass | Iranian glass includes Sasanian cut glass, early Islamic mould-blown and cut vessels, and later blown bottles and rosewater sprinklers, with a small studio glassblowing tradition today. |
| Lustreware (Zarrin-fam) | Ceramics | A ceramic decoration in which metallic oxides are painted onto a glazed surface and fired in a reducing kiln to produce a metallic sheen, associated especially with Kashan. |
| Stucco carving (Gach-bori) | Architectural ornamentation | The carving and moulding of gypsum plaster into architectural ornament, including mihrabs, inscriptions, muqarnas and wall panels. |
| Stone carving (Hajjari) | Stone | The carving of marble, limestone, alabaster and softer stones for architectural elements, gravestones, inscriptions and vessels. |
| Bone and ivory carving | Bone and horn | The carving of bone and, historically, ivory into figurines, plaques, combs and inlay elements, also used as a component in khatam. |
| Slip-painted ceramics | Ceramics | Earthenware decorated with coloured slips under a clear or tinted glaze, including early Islamic Nishapur-type wares and later village production such as Lalejin. |
Period dates follow conventional scholarly ranges. Attributing a single object to a period is often uncertain; this page is under review.