''Āina-kāri'' ( fa, آینه‌کاری) is a kind of

interior decoration Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordina ...

made by Iranian artists who assemble finely cut

mirrors A mirror or looking glass is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the ...

together in

geometric Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is ca ...

, calligraphic or foliage forms (inspired by flowers and other plants). This creates a beautiful shining surface covered with complex facets, reflecting light as intricate abstract patterns or glittering reflections. Beside their decorative use, this art is used as a strong durable cover for an interior space of a building. In the

Zand Zand may refer to: * Zend, a class of exegetical commentaries on Zoroastrian scripture * Zand District, an administrative subdivision of Iran * Zand Boulevard, in Shiraz, Iran * Z And, a variable star As a tribal/clan and dynastic name * Zand tr ...

and

Qajar Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...

periods, this craft was applied over doorways, window-frames, walls, ceilings, and columns in pavilions and private houses, tea-houses and zūrḵānas, as well as royal buildings and shrines. The funerary complex of

Shah Cheragh Shāh Chérāgh ( fa, شاه چراغ) or Shahcheragh Shrine is the tomb of Ahmed bin Musa ( Imam Reza's brother) in the center of Shiraz. It is the third most important shrine in Shia Islam in Iran, after the Imam Reza shrine and Fatima Masu ...

Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...

, Iran, features extensive use of Āina-kāri mirrorwork. It also appears as an external architectural facade, within semi-domed ayvāns that mark the entrance of tālārs, courtyards, gardens and reflecting pools. Elements of this craft have been attributed to Venetian glassmakers invited to Iran by Shah ʿAbbās I in the 17th century. This art form may have also evolved from the creative reuse of shattered fragments of imported mirrors, reminiscent of ''

kintsugi , also known as , is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum; the method is similar to the technique... As a philosophy, it treats bre ...

'' and influenced by

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

philosophy regarding the symbolism of broken objects and reflected light. By the 19th century, affluent homes in Isfahan featured a 'mirror room' as a reception space, in which mirror work was combined with carved stucco and the display of artist's prints. Āina-kāri is closely associated with sculptures by contemporary artists such as

Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian ( fa, منیر شاهرودی فرمانفرمائیان; 16 December 1922 – 20 April 2019) was an Iranian artist and a collector of traditional folk art. She is noted for having been one of the most prominent Ira ...

an
Timo Nasseri
Artworks like these are either been made in collaboration with Iranian artisans, or seek to reproduce the appearance of this craft in materials such a
stainless steel
Contemporary furniture and interior designers have also adapted this craft for new audiences, such as the restaurant of the

Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia ( ms, Muzium Kesenian Islam Malaysia) is a museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was officially opened on 12 December 1998. The museum is the largest museum of Islamic arts in South East Asia with more than seven ...

. In India, artists lik
M. Amin Shaikh
have set the bars high when it comes to portraying impeccable designs of mirror work inspired by Persian artists. When interviewed in 2013 about the use of Persian mirror work in contemporary art, Timo Nasseri said: "I chose the mirrors for different reasons. I liked the idea that the mirrors in the sculpture reflect themselves. What can you see in a mirror that reflects another mirror? As you see, this is an abstraction of infinity. Even though in my mirrors you will see fragments of the space that surrounds you, you’ll never get the whole picture as we cannot see and understand everything around us. The other idea is that you will stand in front of these sculptures made of hundreds of mirrors but you will not see yourself reflected in them because of the way they are arranged. That relates to the idea of

aniconism Aniconism is the absence of artistic representations (''icons'') of the natural and supernatural worlds, or it is the absence of representations of certain figures in religions. It is a feature of various cultures, particularly of cultures which a ...

."''In Conversation: Timo Nasseri'' https://www.maharam.com/stories/in-conversation-timo-nasseri Retrieved 10 December 2019

Gallery

File:Aina-kari near Zarih of Fatima Masumeh Shrine, Qom, Iran.jpg, Āina-kāri of

Fatima Masumeh Shrine The Shrine of Fatima Masumeh ( fa, حرم فاطمه معصومه translit. ''haram-e fateme-ye masumeh'') is located in Qom, which is considered by Shia Muslims to be the second most sacred city in Iran after Mashhad. Fatima Masumeh was the ...

, Qom, Iran File:Chehel Sotoun ceiling.jpg, Ceiling of

Chehel Sotoun Chehel Sotoun ( fa, چهل ستون, literally: “Forty Columns”) is a Persian pavilion in the middle of a park at the far end of a long pool, in Isfahan, Iran, built by Shah Abbas II to be used for his entertainment and receptions. In this ...

's mirror hall that contains Āina-kāri art

Gallery

References

See also