What it means
میناکاری (minâ-kâri) is the craft of coating metal surfaces, most often copper, with layers of powdered glass pigment and firing them in a kiln to produce vibrant, jewel-like colours. مینا (minâ) is borrowed from Arabic مِينَا (mīnā), meaning glaze or enamel. کاری (kâri) is the Persian suffix for craft or workmanship. The compound is therefore of mixed origin: an Arabic noun combined with a Persian suffix. A related word is مینو (minu, meaning heaven or paradise in Persian), which shares a distant ancestral relationship with مینا but is a separate word. A closely related term is لعاب (la’âb, Arabic-origin), which refers to glaze on ceramics rather than fired enamel on metal.
How to use it
- بشقابهای میناکاری توی بازار اصفهان خیلی معروفن. (boshghâb-hâye minâkâri tu-ye bâzâr-e Esfahân kheyli ma’rufan.) “Enamelled plates are very famous in the Isfahan bazaar.”
- میناکاری یه هنر سنتی ایرانیه. (minâkâri ye honar-e sonnati-ye Irânie.) “Enamelling is a traditional Iranian art.”
- مامانم یه گلدون میناکاری داره که خیلی قدیمیه. (mâmânam ye goldun-e minâkâri dâre ke kheyli ghadimie.) “My mum has an enamelled vase that is very old.”
- رنگهای میناکاری بعد از پخت خیلی درخشنده. (rang-hâye minâkâri ba’d az pokht kheyli derakhshandeh.) “The colours of enamelwork shine brilliantly after firing.”
Cultural note
Isfahan has been the centre of Iranian میناکاری for centuries, and the craft reached its peak refinement during the Safavid period. Artisans apply multiple layers of enamel, firing the piece after each colour to prevent colours from mixing. Traditional motifs draw from Persian miniature painting: birds, flowers, hunting scenes, and arabesques. Today میناکاری objects ranging from jewellery to large decorative plates are among the most sought-after souvenirs from Isfahan.