Kaveh Ahangar in Hafeshjan – Arya Heritage News Agency
Legacy of Arya: Perhaps the exact date of the origin of the traditional blacksmithing art (Chalangari) in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari is not known, but based on some scientific findings and researches, the origin of this art is associated with the settlement of mankind and the discovery of iron metal.
For some time now, due to the progress of science and technology, less attention has been paid to traditional products, just as once upon a time, traditional blacksmithing (Chalangri) enjoyed the prosperity of caravans in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, but today the table of this original and practical field has gathered and ended. has approached
Perhaps, if the few remaining old and elderly artists do not want to work in the traditional blacksmithing art of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, this field should be consigned to legends and perhaps to oblivion.
Traditional blacksmith artists in Iran and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari who used to make all kinds of nails, pincers, skewers, tripods, chains, awls, pens, awls, hammers, irons, braziers, maqars, kish (ploughs), scythes, scissors. , grass cutters and horseshoes were used as basic daily goods of people, but today they only try a little to make a living, their love and passion, but they do not have a favorable market in this area.
Plumbers put the metal cut or cut into the desired shape in the furnace until it is hot and a little soft, then they take the piece of iron with pliers and place it on the anvil and hit it with a hammer to take the shape of the desired tool.
These traditional blacksmiths put the piece of metal in water while it is hot, so to speak, to make it stronger.
Traditional blacksmiths (locksmiths) then prepare various tools needed by the people by beating the iron into shape, which requires tools such as hammers and anvils.
Kaveh Ahangar in Hafeshjan, Shahrekord County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, is one of the last survivors of the traditional blacksmith generation, who still brings the hammer down on the anvil to make traditional tools.
He softens the iron so that the traditional art of blacksmithing (Changari) in Hefeshjan remains and is not forgotten.
This artist has been working in his old shop in Hefeshjan for more than 70 years and his products are still competing with modern tools and machines, and in addition to his old age, he has not lost his breath yet.
The art and craft of challangari in different parts of the world, the country and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, including the city of Hafeshjan, had a high prosperity since the distant past, and many production tools were made by human hands, such as nails, pliers, skewers, tripods, chains, screws, pens, awls, hammers, and awls. , brazier, moqar, khish (plough), scythe, scissors, grass cutter and horseshoe were made by blacksmith masters like Kaveh Ahangar.
In traditional blacksmithing for the production of various tools, the desired piece is placed in the furnace, after softening, it is removed from the furnace with tongs, and by hitting the hammer on the anvil, the desired piece of metal is shaped and shaped, and for more durability and Increasing the quality of forging products, after forming, the metal piece is thrown into water to see the water.
Products related to traditional blacksmithing have been widely used in the daily life of people, especially in agriculture and animal husbandry, but today, due to industrial and machine development, the prosperity of the art of blacksmithing has been greatly reduced.
Meanwhile, Kaveh Ahangar still comes to his traditional shop every day and turns on the furnace and softens and softens the iron with his powerful hands for one or two hours. stays
Sometimes Kaveh Ahanger’s friends come to his blacksmith shop, they drink tea together and review the memories of the past and talk about the difficulty of work, the prosperity of agriculture, the efforts of people, the honesty of people and other things, and they continue to live their lives hoping for the future.
The development of modernity diminished the art of blacksmithing
Traditional blacksmith artist Hefeshjani said: The development of modernity and the mechanization of affairs, especially in the agricultural sector, has caused the production of new tools and the decline of traditional blacksmithing art.
Farajollah Kaveh Hefeshjani He emphasized: Today, no one orders the manufacture of iron tools, and now the same number of customers, who are few, go to the traditional blacksmith shop just to sharpen their previous and old tools.
He added: In the past years, the art of traditional blacksmithing (Chalangri) had a good boom in Hefeshjan and other parts of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari and even in the country, but today other tools such as nails, pliers, skewers, tripods, chains, drefesh, pens, jualdoz, hammers, Sonbeh, grill, moqar, khish (plough), scythe, scissors, lawnmower and horseshoe are either not used or are produced industrially and mechanically.
Kaveh clarified: In the past, artists active in the field of traditional blacksmithing (chalangari) used to buy scraps and reuse them after melting in the furnace, which was considered a kind of saving in the consumption of raw materials.
He reminded: lack of insurance, not having the power to compete with industrial and machine products, not being aware of export methods and the low-prosperity market are the most important problems of traditional blacksmithing (plumbing) activists to such an extent that even my children are not willing to learn this craft to avoid being forgotten. prevent it
This Hefeshjani traditional blacksmith artist added: Supplying cheap raw materials, marketing and advertising to increase product sales, making products practical and providing opportunities to create enthusiasm among young people to guide them in the direction of handicrafts and traditional arts, especially traditional blacksmithing, can prevent the forgetting of the art of changari. slow
He said: Of course, municipalities can also help to strengthen this field in line with their social and cultural mission by supporting the activists of crafts and traditional arts and making cultural symbols (elements).
Kaveh emphasized: Creating prosperity in handicrafts and traditional arts will increase the motivation of young people to work in this field.
He added: Providing the conditions for establishing insurance, paying cheap facilities, guaranteed purchase of products, internal and external marketing, providing the field for export and advertising can help prosperity in the field of handicrafts and traditional arts and more sales of manufactured products.
Kaveh stated: I worked in this field with love and passion and if I am born again one day, I will still choose the traditional art of blacksmithing (plumbing) as my job, but I cannot make a decision for my children and other young people in this regard.
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