Last week, I found this beautiful Persian copper plate hand-engraved with intricate floral motifs at a local charity shop, for much less that it’s worth. The art of carving designs on copper, gold, silver, and brass, commonly known as Qalam-Zanj, dates back to 3000 BC, and was practiced in the Median, Archaemenid, Seljuk, Parthian periods until the Islamic period. Metalworking in Greater Khorasan (encompassing Afghanistan, northeastern Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan) can be traced back to the Bronze Age and early Iron Age. The Islamic Golden Age, particularly from the 7th to the 13th centuries, marked a significant period of advancement in metalworking techniques in Khorasan. During this era, Khorasan became a major center for Islamic art and science, including metalwork. Artisans developed and perfected techniques such as chasing, engraving, inlaying with precious metals, and niello work. The artisans in Afghanistan were part of a broader Khorasani tradition that ...