Lahij copper craft is a traditional practice of making and using copperware in the Lahij community in the Caucasus. The copper-smelting master coordinates the entire process, while an apprentice learns the necessary techniques while helping the master.
Folk art is practiced in the Azerbaijani city of Lahic. This traditional art form involves the manufacturing of copper crockery and other products. One of the oldest coppersmith families in Lahic, Ismailli, the Aliyev family, started the craft for the first time in 1725.
Lahic, Ismailli is the main center for copper in Azerbaijan, making large quantities of household goods and home appliances. By the mid-19th century, there were close to 200 workshops in Lahıc, Ismailli.
Making copperware is one of the oldest forms of metalwork. People began forming and decorating copperware thousands of years, not long after learning how to mine copper. There is evidence that tableware was manufactured in Lahij in the 11th century. Also, archaeologists have found copper coins from the Middle Ages that may have been manufactured in Lahij.
Copper-smelting masters coordinate the entire process, accompanied by an apprentice who learns the necessary techniques by assisting them. Air-pump coppersmith-hammerers expand molten copper inside ovens, then hammer the thin copper plates into thin rings.
Craftspeople polish the rings and engrave copperware. At this stage of the process, the master is responsible for selling the copperware in the workshops, as well as remunerating the other craftspeople involved.
Coppersmiths' methods and practices haven't changed over the years. They still use traditional tools like sledgehammers and chisels. It requires endurance and a lot of patience. Traditional copper work sustains the livelihood of artisans and provides a sense of belonging and community pride to the Lahij people. Copper work reinforces family ties within the Lahij community and is viewed as a core characteristic of the Lahij people.
The designs may have an environmental focus, reflecting the bearer's traditional knowledge and cultural values. Families in Azerbaijan are passing on the tradition from father to son. Many people buy copperware in Lahij and use it every day because they believe it enhances the health benefits of food.
Several world-famous museums show tableware made in Lahij today, including the Louvre in Paris, and it is highly valued locally as well. Now Lahij has built a modern road, where dozens of tourists arrive every day. Shops have become crowded again, and curious people gather outside workshops to see how knives are forged or dishes are made from copper sheets.
Copper craftsmanship of Lahij is the traditional way of the art of making copperware and using copperware in the Lahij community in the Caucasus.
Lahıc copper craft is a form of folk art practiced in the Azerbaijani city of Lahic. This traditional art form involves the manufacturing of copper crockery and other products. One of the oldest coppersmith families in Lahic, Ismailli, the Aliyev family, started the craft for the first time in 1725. Lahic, Ismailli is the main center for copper in Azerbaijan, making large quantities of household goods and home appliances. By the mid-19th century, there were close to 200 workshops in Lahıc, Ismailli.
Making copperware is one of the oldest forms of metalwork. People began forming and decorating copperware for thousands of years, not long after learning how to mine copper. There is evidence that tableware was manufactured in Lahij in the 11th century. Also, archaeologists have found copper coins from the Middle Ages that may have been manufactured in Lahij. Copper-smelting masters coordinate the entire process, accompanied by an apprentice who learns the necessary techniques by assisting them. Air-pump coppersmith-hammerers expand molten copper inside ovens, then hammer the thin copper plates into thin rings. Craftspeople polish the rings and engrave copperware. At this stage of the process, the master is responsible for selling the copperware in the workshops, as well as remunerating the other craftspeople involved.
Coppersmiths' methods and practices haven't really changed over the years. They still use traditional tools like sledge hammers and chisels. It requires endurance and a lot of patience
Traditional copper work sustains the livelihood of artisans and provides a sense of belonging and community pride to the Lahij people. Copper work reinforces family ties within the Lahij community and is viewed as a core characteristic of the Lahij people.
The designs may have an environmental focus, reflecting the bearer's traditional knowledge and cultural values. Families in Azerbaijan are passing on the tradition from father to son. Many people buy copperware in Lahij and use it every day because they believe it enhances the health benefits of food.
Several world-famous museums show tableware made in Lahij today, including the Louvre in Paris, and it is highly valued locally as well. Now Lahij has built a modern road, where dozens of tourists arrive every day. Shops have become crowded again, and curious people gather outside workshops that have started working again. Everyone wants to see how knives are forged or dishes are made from copper sheets.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/copper-craftsmanship-of-lahij-00675) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lah%C4%B1c_copper_craft) (https://www.unesco.az/en/articles/intangible_cultural_heritage/copper-craftsmanship-lahij) (https://www.euronews.com/culture/2021/10/11/the-highly-skilled-art-of-copperware-production-lives-on-in-lahij) |Subject=Art, Craftsmanship and Practices |Country=Azerbaijan |Region=Laḩij |SDG=(04) Quality Education, (08) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (09) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production }}