About Khatam Kari

khatam kari work is considered one of Iran’s most important and exquisite handicrafts. This craft demands a great deal of patience and attention, in addition to its amazing elegance and beauty. seal the process of inserting very small pieces of wood “ebony, betel, walnut, jujube, orange”, metal “brass, aluminum, Persian silver”, and bone “ivory and camel bone” into regular geometric shapes “Hexagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, or hexagonal”, the result of which can be seen as small flowers or bright stars.

The art of khatam Kari developed in Iran during the Seljuk period and evolved throughout the Safavid period when the bazaar’s success lured artisans from all over the world to Isfahan, the Safavid capital. Construction of shrines and chests from incense wood and sandals with Azin Khatam for the tombs of the Imams began during the Safavid dynasty and has continued until now. The pulpit of Shiraz’s Atiq Grand Mosque, the inlaid doors of Timur Gurkhani’s palace called Delgosha in Samarkand, the doors decorated with geometric shapes of flowers and bushes from Bukhara, the wooden pulpit of Isfahan’s Lebanese mosque, and the doors of Golestan Palace’s Persian  Mirror Hall are all examples of inlaid works.

Art of Khatam Kari

In the early stages of starting work, bones, and metals are prepared first, then cut to a length of 30 cm and a diameter of 1 to 2.5 mm and made into a triangle with a special tool. These sides are scraped and constructed of wire. These pieces of wood and bone are then cemented together and securely knotted with a razor septum, resulting in a so-called ” septum.” After a few hours, open the threads and rejoin the four septums, a process known as “tuglo.”

The khatam Kari are set next to each other on the wood’s surface according to pattern, color, form, and proportions, then ground and smoothed before being lubricated and polished. The quality of a khatam Kari product is determined by the small role and regularity of its sides and arrangement, which necessitates the craftsman’s expertise, precision, and patience.