Varshosazi
Varshosazi, or varsho-sazi is the Iranian artisan handicraft of producing metal objects using nickel silver alloy, started in the Qajar era. This craft was heavily influenced by the Russian tea service containers, such as samovars.
The varshosazi is a type of metalsmithing using nickel silver alloy, and is related to other metalsmithing professions. It was widespread in some cities of Iran during the Qajar and Pahlavi periods; and today, limited varsho workshops are still operating around the country especially in Borujerd in the Lorestan province of Iran.
History
The art of nickel silver repoussé and chasing in Iran reaches its highest point from the Qajar era through the Pahlavi dynasty. During the Qajar period, German Silver sheets were imported from Germany and Poland and therefore, the alloy was named varsho referring to the city of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Artisans from Isfahan, Borujerd and Dezful first learned to produce repoussé and chasing works by observing samovars and other Russian tea service products in the 19th century. The craftsmen were selected from coppersmith market and they learned to make utensils by shaping nickel silver and brass sheets; however, nickel silver was more popular because of its durability and the craftsmen could produce different objects for families and industry.During the 20th century, producing metal crafts using nickel silver and brass was practiced widely in Iranian cities. In recent decades, the art of varshosazi has been disappeared in almost all Iranian cities except in Borujerd and Dezful. Beside the introduction of modern utensils, a considerable reduction on importing nickel silver sheets was a main reason for the decline.