TEHRAN -- Iran’s reportedly largest intarsia wood work bearing the name of Imam Ali (AS) was unveiled during a ceremony in Neishabur, Khorasan Razavi on Friday.

Created by veteran artist Hossein Pahlevan Moqaddam, the 600kg masterpiece was set up in the city’s main Basij Square.
The 4.5m-high work is made up of 20 pieces of different types of wood and bears some exquisite calligraphy by master Ahmad Qaem-Maqami, artist Pahlevan Moqaddam told MNA.
“I spent much special care and attention creating this masterpiece which took almost five years to accomplish,” he noted, adding that the massive work was undertaken on a budget donated by local people and that Neishabur’s Municipality had helped install it.
The intarsia wood work located in Mashhad was also created by Pahlevan Moqaddam to mark the occasion of the birth anniversary of Imam Reza (AS) four years ago. This is said to be the largest work of its kind in the world.
Developing two different styles of intarsia, being the world’s first teacher of intarsia wood work to congenitally blind people, and compiling an encyclopedia of Iran’s trees are among Pahlevan Moqaddam’s other credits.