What is what is "Telkari" or Silver Filigree?

"Telkari" is a Turkish special term. “Tel” in Turkish means wire and “Telkari” means the art of wireworks only to make silver or gold jeweler.

Silver wires shaped into jeweler or decorative ornaments are known as telkari.

Telkari is handmade from pure silver which is 92,5 percent silver ore. The silver is melted and poured into a mould to produce thin rods millimeters in diameter which are then drawn into wires using a special steel plate pierced by holes for achieving purity, delicacy and refinement.

Once the wire is ready then the craftsman creates the design which is planned to be hand made. Then, the tiny silver circular pieces are welded together by other skilled craftsmen, a job requiring great skill and patience.

Various objects can be from floral lace other than jeweler, including tobacco boxes, coffee cup holders, cigarette holders, trays, bracelets, mirror frames and belts etc.

"Telkari" or Silver Filigree?

"Telkari" is a Turkish special term. “Tel” in Turkish means wire and “Telkari” means the art of wireworks only to make silver or gold jeweler.

Silver wires shaped into jeweler or decorative ornaments are known as telkari.

Telkari is handmade from pure silver which is 92,5 percent silver ore. The silver is melted and poured into a mould to produce thin rods millimeters in diameter which are then drawn into wires using a special steel plate pierced by holes for achieving purity, delicacy and refinement.

Once the wire is ready then the craftsman creates the design which is planned to be hand made. Then, the tiny silver circular pieces are welded together by other skilled craftsmen, a job requiring great skill and patience.

Various objects can be from floral lace other than jeweler, including tobacco boxes, coffee cup holders, cigarette holders, trays, bracelets, mirror frames and belts etc.

Silver Filigree (Telkari)

Silver filigree work has its origins in Mesopotamia and Egypt from where it spread into Turkey and other parts of Asia. From Turkey it was exported with Ottoman rule into Yugoslavia and Greece. It is also known as çift işi (tweezers work) and vav işi from the Arabic letter vav which is somewhat similar to "g" and is a frequently used motif.

 All the work involved in the creation of a filigree piece is carried out by the same craftsman. This involves the design of the object as well as the production of the silver wire from which the frame, and infill motifs, are made. Some of the beautiful objects produced are flat ware – plates, trays, belts, bracelets, mirror frames – but others are hollow ware, filigree coffee cup holders were once particularly popular when the cups themselves were made without handles. Whatever the desired end result the design is first drawn flat on paper but if the object is to be hollow the paper is manipulated into shape before the design is completed.

 The production of the silver wire involves risk, considerable strength and special equipment. The silver is melted in a crucible then poured into a mould to make thin rods which are drawn through steel plates with tapering holes until wire 1 mm in diameter is produced. During this process the metal is constantly reheated and coated with beeswax. In the early stages the pulling is done by hand, using pliers but when this becomes impossible the wire is tied to the craftsman’s water buffalo hide belt and he uses his own weight to finish the job.

 The piece is completed on a flat walnut slab, which has been flamed to burn off the oil and compressed for several days. Every filigree object has a frame ( muntach ) to which the different motifs are attached. The muntach is made first with a double thickness of wire then fine wire is shaped to make the motifs which fit into the openings. The motifs are not soldered to the frame but welded with a silver and borax mixture. After the motifs are in place the final, smallest, decorations (silver balls etc) are welded on. In the case of hollow ware, the frames and motifs are prepared in sections on the flat surface and then welded together supported by hardwood or metal moulds.