Persian Marquetry - Khatamkari

Khatam Wall Clock

Khatam Pattern

Khatam on Copper

Pipe Khatam

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Box Marquetry Code302-7-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Box

Code 302-7-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Frame Marquetry Code286-5-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Frame

Code 286-5-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Candle Holder Marquetry Code351-9-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Candle Holder

Code 351-9-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Tissue Box Marquetry Code309-2-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Tissue Box

Code 309-2-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Box Marquetry Code303-2-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Box

Code 303-2-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Box Marquetry Code306-2-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Box

Code 306-2-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Frame Marquetry Code288-5-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Frame

Code 288-5-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Frame Marquetry Code329-11-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Frame

Code 329-11-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Wall Clock Marquetry Code298-2-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Wall Clock

Code 298-2-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Nuts Bowls Marquetry Code350-9-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Nuts Bowls

Code 350-9-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Sugar Bowl Marquetry Code349-9-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Sugar Bowl

Code 349-9-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Sugar Bowl Marquetry Code349-9-2

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Sugar Bowl

Code 349-9-2 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Decanter Marquetry Code341-9-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Decanter

Code 341-9-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Tableau Marquetry Code330-11-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Tableau

Code 330-11-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Tableau Marquetry Code331-8-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Tableau

Code 331-8-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Persian Pedestal Dish Marquetry Code347-9-0

Persian Marquetry

Khatam Pedestal Dish

Code 347-9-0 Iranian Marquetry

Isfahan Shiraz Iranian Candle Holder Marquetry Code351-9-0

Isfahan Shiraz Iranian Nuts Bowls Marquetry Code350-9-0

Isfahan Shiraz Iranian Nuts Bowls Marquetry Code350-9-2

Isfahan Shiraz Iranian Nuts Bowls Marquetry Code350-9-3

Isfahan Shiraz Iranian Nuts Bowls Marquetry Code350-9-4

Isfahan Shiraz Iranian Sugar Bowl Marquetry Code349-9-0

Isfahan Shiraz Iranian Sugar Bowl Marquetry Code349-9-2

Isfahan Shiraz Iranian Sugar Bowl Marquetry Code349-9-3

Iranian Marquetry

Persian Khatamkari or Marquetry which is a form of inlaid working is one of the finest Iranian decorative wooden handicraft. Pieces of wood, bone, and metal are cut in small geometric parts and then trimmed to create all kinds of decorative objects. You can find objects made with aluminum, silver or gold. Creating such piece requires a huge amount of time and also the exceptional skills of the craftspeople, as some pieces can be an assemblage of more than 400 tiny parts. This art, culminated in Safavid era due to Shah Abbas’s support of art. You can find beautiful Iranian Khatamkari in traditional stores of Isfahan and Shiraz.

Making Khatam

Designing of inlaid articles is a highly elaborate process. There are sometimes more than 400 pieces per square inch in a work of average quality. Thin rods of different colored woods, ivory, bone, brass, silver, etc. are glued together into long bunches that could have a round, rectangular, or polygonal cross-section. The bunches are cut into thin slices and combined with others to create intricate patterns. In each cubic centimeter up to approximately 250 individual pieces can end up side by side, smoothed, oiled and polished. Khatam is sometimes accompanied by miniature paintings which result in breathtaking beauty.

Uses of Khatam

Khatam is a combination of regular polygons with different faces, which are formed using various materials in different colors and are considered to be precise handicrafts that require the production and construction of it to be very careful. The Khatamkari artists, combining wood, metal and bone, create works that obscure the eyes of any viewer. Artworks with smaller inlaid pieces are generally more highly valued. Khatamkari is done on the surface of different objects such as cigar pipes, desks, chessboards, clocks, musical instruments, jewelry boxes, backgammon, mirror frames, and a great variety of decorative objects.

khatam kari meaning

Khatam means inlay. This technique involves the creation of motifs, mainly in the shape of a star, with incrustations of fine wooden sticks (ebony, teak, jujube, orange wood), brass (for the golden parts) and camel bones (for the white parts). It is one of the decorative arts of Iran in which, with the purposeful reprinting of the polygonal patterns and shapes, very beautiful images are being created.

khatam kari prices

The price of khatamkari depends on the delicacy of the work. The number of pieces laid in each cubic inch, the precision, and the quality of the materials are some of the factors determining the price. However, considering the skill and craftsmanship, the time and experience, the passion and devotion put in the creation of such arts, it can be claimed that they are absolutely priceless.

khatam is made of

Common materials used in the construction of inlaid articles are gold, silver, brass, aluminum and twisted wire. Artworks with smaller inlaid pieces are generally more highly valued. Foreign tourists often purchase Iranian Khatam Kari as souvenirs and gifts for their friends and family. The Naqsh-e-Jahan square of Isfahan and the Vakil Bazaar of Shiraz are good places to buy this art.

Vakil Bazaar

You can find Khatam kari products in traditional stores of Vakil Bazaar. It contains a large number of stores each selling various Iranian handicrafts. Vakil Bazaar is one of the most traditional and historical bazaars of Iran, which is in the heart of Shiraz city.

High Quality Khatam

A high-quality product has got symmetrical patterns, its reiterated images and patterns are identical in size. Pay attention to make sure that the surface of the work is utterly flat and there is no trace of priming left on it. All surfaces must have patterns.

Materials

Materials used in khatamkari craft can be gold, silver, brass, aluminum and twisted wire. Various types of inlaid articles and their quality are known by the size and geometrical designs. Smaller pieces result in a higher value of the artwork.

Khatamkari History

This handicraft of Iran was flourished in Safavid Era because of the presence of different masters and the great attention of kings to art and culture. In the 18th and 19th centuries, khatamkari declined, before being stimulated under the reign of Reza Shah, with the creation of art schools in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. Incorporating techniques from China and improving it with Persian know-how, this craft existed for more than 700 years and is still practiced in Shiraz and Isfahan. Woods which were used at that moment were mainly cypress, betel, pine and walnut.

Protection Khatam

The Khatamkari dishes and objects are extremely sensitive to humidity. So, keep them in dry places.
You can clean the product with a wet cloth and then use a dry cloth.
You should keep a Khatam Kari product away from hit and pressure.
Every kind of scratch will remove its polyester layer which results in damaging the triangles.
If the wooden surface does not absorb other parts, this product is not a high quality Khatam.
The surface of khatam should be flat.

Buy Khatam

There should be no troughs on the surface of Khatam when you touch it.
The corners and sides of a Khatamkari product should be symmetrical in size, design and color.
The whole product should be polished completely. If it is not fully lacquered, dust and humid will change its appearance by passing time.
The smaller is the size of each shape, the higher will be the quality of that product.
There should be a lining cloth and special glue behind the product to show a high quality Khatam.