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Copperware
Samawaar
Naqashi engraved copper
Technique · Copperware
Naqashi engraving
Naqashi is the art of the naqash — the engraver who cuts pattern into hammered copper with a small chisel and hammer, line by line, until the vessel is covered in chinar leaves, paisleys and flowering vines. It is what turns a Kashmiri copper pot into an heirloom.
From hammer to chisel
The vessel is first raised by the coppersmith, hammered from sheet into shape. The naqash then draws the design and engraves it — a samovar may carry many days of engraving — before the piece is polished and, traditionally, tinned inside for use.
Ruqai: the silver finish
For a regal finish we offer Ruqai, a traditional silver coating over the copper. It gives a mirror-bright surface, is food-safe and naturally anti-bacterial, and is the finish preferred for ceremonial and gift pieces.
Questions
What is Naqashi?
Naqashi is Kashmiri hand-engraving on copper — floral, paisley and chinar designs cut into hammered vessels by an artisan called a naqash.
Is engraved Kashmiri copperware safe to use?
Traditionally the inside of a vessel is tinned (kalai) for use with food and drink, or the whole piece can be silver-coated (Ruqai). Decorative pieces are left in natural copper. Tell us how you intend to use a piece and we will finish it accordingly.
Guide: The Kashmiri samovar: what it is, how it is used, and how to choose one →
Pieces in this design
Naqashi engraving, made by hand
Prices on request. Every piece can be commissioned in your own size and palette.
Bespoke
Naqashi engraving, to your own measure
Choose the size, the palette and the density of the work. Our naqash draws the design for your approval before a single knot is tied, a stitch made or a brush lifted.
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