Sermeh embroidery (), also known as Sormeh embroidery, is an Iranian ancient-style of embroidery. Its origin dates back to the

Achaemenid dynasty The Achaemenid dynasty ( ; ; ; ) was a royal house that ruled the Achaemenid Empire, which eventually stretched from Egypt and Thrace in the west to Central Asia and the Indus Valley in the east. Origins The history of the Achaemenid dy ...

(some 25 centuries ago). It reached its zenith in the

Safavid The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

Dynasty. In this style of embroidery, gold and silver threads would be used to make decorating patterns on the surface of fabric; however, nowadays, almost entirely, threads twisted out of cheaper metals and alloys and metal like yarns have replaced gold and silver. The yarn used in patterning is springlike and elastic. Sermeh embroidery is the most popular in the cities of

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

Yazd Yazd (; ) is a city in the Central District of Yazd County, Yazd province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. At the 2016 census, its population was 529,673. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is rec ...

Kashan Kashan (; ) is a city in the Central District (Kashan County), Central District of Kashan County, in the northern part of Isfahan province, Isfahan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. History Earlies ...

About

Sermeh embroidery is used to create table clothes, flags, elaborately embroidered clothing, religious objects, curtains, and many household items. It is thought that clothing was commonly decorated in Sermeh embroidery during the Parthian-era. Materials used for making Sermeh embroidery textiles can include

Termeh Termeh (Persian: ترمه) is a type of valuable and traditional fabric, often made from silk, cashmere, or wool, and featuring intricate traditional patterns. This fabric is produced in Iran and Kashmir and is highly popular due to its delicate ...

cloth, silk, velvet, cotton fabrics and different types of threads. An

embroidery hoop Embroidery hoops and frames are tools used to keep fabric taut while working embroidery or other forms of needlework. Hoops An embroidery hoop or (earlier) tambour frame consists of a pair of concentric circular or elliptical rings. The lar ...

or frame to stretch the material while making the patterns are needed. Each single textile may have a variety of stitching techniques including chain stitches, twill stitches, round embroidery stitches, leaf embroidery stitches, spiral stitches, satin stitches, diagonal stitches, fastening stitches, zigzag stitches, mice teeth stitches, and stem embroidery stitches.

References

*''The information in this article is based on that in its Persian equivalent''. {{Authority control Culture of Iran Persian embroidery