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Traditional Iranian charcoal table
Korsi) Traditional Iranian charcoal table)
Korsi usually the length and width of one meter and fifty centimeters height and shape is square or rectangle. Cover the korsi with a large quilt commensurate with the size of the room to prevent The Heat of Charcoal brazier doesn’t go out from under the korsi. They have been Decorate over the korsi with kind of woven rug, cashmere or bedspread.
Put a mattress on each side for sitting and sleeping people around the korsi and used cushions and poshti (a kind of cushion leans against the wall.) for sleeping and leaning.
In the moen Glossary (Persian Encyclopedic dictionary) meaning of korsi is: wide and short foursquare four legged table they put Charcoal brazier under it, in winter. They warm themselves under it.
Charcoal brazier and korsi hole
The Charcoal brazier is the Square or circular shape container which poured charcoal into it and after the charcoal burning they put it under the korsi. Every few hours when the heat of the charcoal was reduced Shuffle the charcoal with dustpan metal that it was alongside the Charcoal brazier to heat up the charcoal. The Dustpan is a metal bar. Twenty to thirty centimeters in length that was a metal plate with a size ten in ten centimeters at the bottom.
Among families with lower income that couldn’t buy the Charcoal brazier it was customary made a hole beneath korsi, and put the charcoal in it. These families weren’t able to make fire at two places they also used a korsi hole for cooking, which was usually used for cooked Iranian food ABGUSHT. ABGUSHT aشndanian fook ABGOSHTtraditional i kind of popular and original Iranian food. It is made of combinations of water, peas or beans, onions, meat, tomatoes and spices and it was usually cooked in pottery containers in the past.
Method of preparation the Charcoal brazier
Preparing the Charcoal brazier traditionally has been a special manner. First they poured the ashes inside the Charcoal brazier and deepened in the middle of the ashes and poured the cinder on it and put the charcoal fire on it and fanning it until charcoal fire reach to the cinder. Then slowly and gently poured ashes on it and used the dustpan to Compressed and Smooth the charcoal until Temperature durability maximize in it. Then put the Charcoal brazier in the free space to eliminate the smell of charcoal and put it under the korsi. Every few hours repelled a layer of ashes on it, to heat up the charcoal.
korsi in Iranian culture
In Iranian culture and traditions korsi is something much more than a heater device. As one of the of traditional culture accessories it’s memorabilia thing. Hearty heart, unparalleled and laziness it caused gathers family members together. They spent the winter with eating winter goodies and listened to grandparents told stories and narrations. At the traditional Iranian celebrations like Yalda night (longest and darkest night of the year which falls on December 20) and Nowruz (Persian New Year normally is falling on March 21) korsi has been distinguished role by gathering family members together.
The place of siting for each member related to their role in the family
Usually elder member of family sat on the top of room, with the most distance from door while children sat near door.
Usually, there were two korsis in middle social class homes and affluent families, one in the living room and another in a room for guests.
Old Iranian korsi in Japanese home
It’s interesting to know that the Japanese have recently used this heating device as their new invention.
This system is similar to Iranian old korsi in the ancient times of Iran.
By fixing a table in the middle and putting up the beds on the sides, it is considered for cold days. In fact, this system is derived from Kotatsu, which dates back to the 14th century AD.
Author: ali mohammad panahi
