Khatam (Inlaying Art)
Regarding KhatamKari, it should be said that Khatam is the original art of decorating or covering the surface of wood or copper with small triangles that, the smaller the size of these triangles and the more accurate their arrangement, the more valuable it will be. The Persian encyclopedia states: “The beginning time of this art is not known and it is associated with the myth. “Some masters of this art still believe that it is a miracle from the Prophet Ibrahim.” The first inlays found dates back to the early Islamic period. The works are now housed in a museum in Cairo, Egypt, and a museum in Berlin.
Khatamkari History
This Persian art was created in the city of Shiraz for about 1000 years. Before the Safavid era, the art of inlay work was common only in the city of Shiraz but, with the flourishing and development of art during the Safavid period, the art of inlay work in Shiraz was transferred to Isfahan.
Khatam Kari flourished during the Zandieh period in Shiraz. The marble room and the Baharestan Mansion Hall, and the large inlay table designed by Master Farshchian, the flower table in the Afifabad Garden in Shiraz, and the inlaying of the interior of Imam Reza’s shrine in the post-revolutionary period are great examples of Persian inlay.
Shirazi or Isfahani Khatam
There are slight differences between the Shiraz Khatam and Isfahan Khatam. However, Khatam artists in Shiraz, with their art and talents, were able to create the most prestigious inlay work in Shiraz. The process of making an inlay is long. One of the features of Shiraz inlaying is the use of special designs that are not repetitive. In Shiraz inlay, shapes and forms are more delicate and eye-catching. The most important inlaid products in Shiraz include boxes, chocolate bars, watch boxes, etc.
