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| Khatamkari is an outstanding art which calls for dexterity and artistic skills |
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 Khatamkari is one of the Persian arts of marquetry wherein the surface of wooden or metallic artifacts is ornamented with tiny pieces of wood, bone and metal cut in a variety of shapes and designs.
Materials used in this craft can also be gold, silver, brass, aluminum and twisted wire. A variety of inlaid articles and their quality are known by the size and geometrical designs. Smaller pieces result in a higher value of the artwork.
This craft consists in the production of incrustation patterns generally star-shaped, with thin sticks of wood (ebony, teak, ziziphus, orange, rose), brass (for golden parts), camel bones (white parts).
These sticks are assembled in triangular beams, assembled and glued in a strict order to create a geometrical motif such as a six-branch star included in a hexagon.
At times, cylinders are cut into shorter cylinders and then compressed and dried between two wooden plates, before being sliced for the last time, in 1 mm wide tranches. These sections are ready to be plated and glued on the object to be decorated, before lacquer finishing.
The tranche can also be softened through heating in order to wrap around objects. Many objects can be decorated in this way, including jewelry boxes, chessboards, pipes, desks, frames or musical instruments.
Design and usage
Marquetry designing is highly elaborate. In each cubic centimeter, up to approximately 250 pieces of metal, bone, ivory and wood are laid side by side. This art, to some extent, has existed in Iran from long ago.
Inlaid articles in the Safavid era took on a special significance, as artists used this art on doors, windows, mirror frames, Qur’an boxes, pen and penholders, lanterns and tombs.
The ornamentation of the doors of holy places predominantly consists of inlaid motifs. These specimens can be observed in the cities of Mahshad, Qom, Shiraz and Rey. In the Safavid era, the art of marquetry flourished in the southern cities of Iran, especially in Isfahan, Shiraz and Kerman.
Current status
Currently, this art is being practiced mainly in Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran. Inlay masters, preserving the nobility of their art, have introduced great innovations in this ancient art.
Woodcarving is one of the outstanding Iranian arts, which calls for dexterity and artistic skills. It provides the needed pieces of wood, ivory or bone in simple or complex shapes for use in khatamkari.
Excellent specimens can be found in historical mosques, palaces and buildings. Moreover, some of the Iranian inlaid works are preserved in museums at home or abroad.
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