HISTORY

Azerbaijani

Copper Craftsmanship

Over millennia, Azerbaijan’s metalworking craftsmanship has followed its own distinctive path of development. The country possesses deep and rich traditions of folk art, and coppersmithing is one of its prominent branches. The presence of local copper deposits in Azerbaijan contributed significantly to the emergence and growth of coppersmithing as a specialized craft.

In the 6th–4th millennia BCE, people first became acquainted with metal—copper—and began producing various tools, household utensils, and ornaments from it.
During the Middle Ages, the production of copper goods was concentrated in craft and
trade centers. The development of copper production led to the emergence of related
auxiliary fields such as charcoal production for high-temperature smelting and
processing, blacksmithing for toolmaking, and tin-plating (tinning) for preserving and
finishing copper products.

From the second half of the 19th century, the launch of the Gedabay and Zangezur
copper plants significantly increased local copper production, creating a major
transformation in the raw material supply for coppersmith workshops.
There were also distinct “coppersmith cities” in Azerbaijan. Tabriz, Ardabil, Maragha,
Barda, Beylagan, Derbent, Shamakhi, Sheki, Ganja, Baku, Nakhchivan, Guba, and
Shusha were considered major centers of coppersmithing.

Among them is the 1,500-year-old settlement of Lahij in the Ismayilli region. Lahij is regarded as the kingdom of Azerbaijani coppersmithing and an ancient center of craftsmanship. In the 19th century alone, more than 40 main and auxiliary crafts flourished in Lahij. Lahij’s copperware has earned a worthy place both in local households and in museums. Today, many museums around the world display copper utensils made in Azerbaijan, including weapons crafted by Azerbaijani gunsmiths.

The traditional methods of copper production in Lahij are still preserved.

In Lahij, copper production was primarily concentrated in the Agali quarter, where a street
ran through both sides, lined with numerous copper workshops forming the “coppersmith
bazaar.” Finished copper goods were sold there, and workshops functioned as both
production spaces and shops. According to 19th-century Caucasian studies on artisanal
production, there were more than 200 such workshop-shops in Lahij.

“Lahij Coppersmithing” was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity during the 10th session of the Intergovernmental
Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Namibia from
November 30 to December 4, 2015.

Copper utensils are an integral part of Azerbaijani table culture. The Azerbaijani people
have always shown special respect to guests and have been known for their generous,
abundant tables. It is no coincidence that in the epic The Book of Dede Gorgud, setting a
table and hosting guests were considered equal to bravery and a sign of nobility. Even
today, generous and open-hearted people are praised with expressions such as “a noble
person,” “one with an open table,” “broad-hearted and hospitable,” “abundant table,”
“always hosting guests,” and “whose door is always open to guests.”

Historically, copper utensils were widely used in everyday life in Azerbaijan, including at
weddings and festive celebrations. Recognizing the importance of artistic and aesthetic
appearance, coppersmiths decorated their works with beautiful and diverse vegetal and
geometric motifs, as well as figurative representations. The inscriptions engraved on
copper vessels were carefully selected according to their function. Inscriptions on serving
covers (sarpush) were related to food and hospitality; writings on cups referred to wine
and sherbet; and trays and plates were adorned with sayings about abundance and
prosperity.