Persian Wood Carving -Monabat

Monabat Kari

Wood Carving

Monabat-kari is a branch of wood industry and is one of the Iranian decorative wooden handicraft. It is the process of cutting large pieces of wood and creating great forms out of it. This is one of the Iranian handicrafts that dates back to a time where humans acquainted with sharp tools and started to cut wood. In Iran, it has a long history. It can be argued that the Persian wood carving art history goes back to the first time Iranian got to know wood. This art has been positioned highly during the Achaemenidae and Sassanid periods. Abadeh a small city near Shiraz is known as the birthplace of Monabat art in Iran and the world. In 2018, it was included in WIPO for its Monabat. Malayer another city of Iran has been registered in WCC for its Wood-carved Furniture in 2020.

Uses of Monabat

Monuments

Monabat not only involves the creativity and steady hands of the artists, it requires their patience. Thousands of hammering hits varying in speed and in several angles are required to create a piece of art with little to no margin for error. Taking these aspects into mind, one can see why the Iranian art of Monabat-kari is considered valuable all around the world. This form of art has been around for many centuries and throughout the Iranian history, most dynasties have beautifully used this art in various forms. Door and window frames, ceiling carvings and large designed frames are some of the pieces of Monabat that travelers to Iran shall see in the historic monuments and palaces. Important wood carvings can be found in mosques, castles and ancient buildings.

Monabat Meaning

Plant

Monabat is derived from the word Nabat (plant) and means to grow, and the reason is that the forms also grow out of artists’ hands. In other words, embossed patterns are in form of flowers and plant on the wood which is similar to plant growth on the earth. Great examples of wood carving can be seen in many mansions and palaces of Iran, some of them were created by artists as the decoration of the building, and others as paintings or tables. In the Safavid era, wood carving art was accomplished leading to creation of lots of masterpieces. The first and maybe the most important step of Woodcarving is choosing the right piece of wood. The most used wood for Monabat kari in Iran is taken from walnut trees which are solid foundation for any chiseling required on them.

Monabat History

Monabbat-kari in Iran has very deep and historic roots with findings that prove this type of art was common in ancient Persia over a 1500 years ago. The Persians were well known for their artistic tastes and master craftsmanship with the art of Monabbat-kari starting at very modest shapes and styles but slowly changing into a delightful form of art. Today Monabbat Kari comes in some very complex designs and shapes that excite the viewers and show how this traditional and ancient form of Persian art has evolved.

Small Carving

There are two types of Monabbat kari: one with very small carvings and the other with fairly large drawings. For sculpture, paintings, decorating with floral motifs, geometric, portraits and animal figures, wood, bone or ivory can be used. The suitable wood for this type of art must be quite soft, durable and smooth. It must also have a beautiful color, without veins. Such as walnut, maple, beech, eucalyptus, gioggiolo, pear, pomegranate etc. The tools used are the knife, the saw, the rasp, the file, the chisel and different types of blades.

Keeping Monabat

The biggest issues for keeping monabat products will be wood rot, bug damage, and UV damage. If the Monabat product is being stored outdoors, place it in a spot that is away from direct sunlight. Store the smaller monabat product in a cool, dry place like a bookshelf that is out of direct sunlight or curious hands. This will make sure they aren’t disturbed by the suns UV rays, moisture, or direct damage from mishandling. Use tung oil to protect products. Unlike many other oils, tung oil will naturally harden and create a protective layer on the wood.