- نویسنده: امید حسینی
Khatam is a memorable handicraft of Isfahan which has a prosperous background. This artwork is known as a popular one because a lot of different products are made of it. Khatam Kari of Isfahan is one of the famous handicrafts of Iran. Its nice designs and colors attract the attention of every art lover because it is made of small triangles which are put next to each other to make some star-like shapes. This art is inherited from past generations which should be transferred to the next ones. One of the traditional techniques of inlaying is called Khatam Kari which can be considered as a kind of marquetry. This art is really popular in different cities of Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran. There are a lot of workshops where amateur people interested in learning this Persian Handicrafts can attend to practice Khatam Kari. Putting various strips in a great geometric pattern can be most important part in making this art because the master should pay a special attention to the design and discipline of colors and motifs.Introduction of Khatam Kari Art
Khatam Kari is one of the well-known arts in Iran which has a lot of fans nationally and internationally. The surface of wood is usually decorated with some special materials including wood, metal and bone to make some star-like shapes. The smaller the shapes and design, the higher will be the value of the masterpiece produced because it needs high amount of concentration to set the colors and shapes .
Persian Khatam kari
Persian Khatam kari is famous all over the world because of its traditional design and delicacy used to make a product. As its products are various enough, all people are interested in its practicality. Making Khatam Kari of Isfahan is one of the complicated tasks because it needs high precision and attention. Some materials are needed to make a Khatam Kari product; such as colored woods, ivory, bone and a selection of gold, silver, brass, aluminum. Narrow strips of colorful materials are stuck together by special glue to make a triangle view. Then great polygonal and rectangular shapes are produced.
This handicraft of Isfahan was flourished in Safavid Era because of the presence of different masters and the great attention of kings to art and culture. Woods which were used at that moment were mainly cypress, betel, pine and walnut. Most Khatam Kari handicrafts included making mirror frames, windows, doors, pen holders and boxes for different purposes such as keeping Quran or jewelries in different sizes.
Isfahan Khatam
Isfahan Khatam is the most eminent one in the world because skillful masters of Isfahan mix their love, talent and creativity to make the most beautiful handicraft. Bazaremina is an Online Persian Handicrafts and Souvenir Store. As this art of Khatam Kari developed in Safavid Era, most of the decorative parts of different places such as Marble Palace and Saadabad Palace in Tehran were made by this art. Also, the doors of some religious holy shrines in Rey, Mashhad, Shiraz and Qom are decorated by great art of Khatam Kari of Isfahan and attracted the attention of every viewer. This great masterpiece was not considered as an important handicraft during 18th and 19th centuries, but during the Period of King Reza, it was popular again by establishing various art schools in famous cities of Iran.
Process of Making Khatam Kari of Isfahan
There is a list of materials to make a Khatam Kari handicraft :
• Sticks of wood; such as orange, teak, ebony, rose and ziziphus
• Metal; such as brass (preferably), gold, silver and aluminum
• White parts of camel’s bone
In order to make some collection products, some people use ivory, gold or silver to make a Khatam Kari piece of art.
Khatam Kari is famous arts
Khatam Kari is one of the famous arts which is made by wood, camel’s bone and brass. A lot of products such as a pen holder, tissue holder and some other items can be made by this art. In order to make a Khatam Kari handicraft, the materials should be used in a way to make the best design. The following steps should be passed to have a masterpiece made of Khatam Kari of Isfahan :
• Select a variety of colorful woods
• Cut the woods in strips with a size of 30 cm * 1-5.2 mm
• Cut some triangles from woods after filing
• Select Some metal strips usually made of brass
• Put metal and wooden strips next to each other in order to be glued based on a figure on your mind
• Put different strips with camel’s bone (if needed) in each corner of the plan to make star-like shapes
• Repeat making star-like shapes to make the plan complete
• Press machine is used to put pressure on the design
• Thin layers of Khatam are cut and stick together after some steps
• Final Khatam is colored and shaped based on different shapes
• Khatam surface is grinded, straightened and polished
Persian Handicrafts
Persian handicrafts have been famous for long years around the world because professional masters who make them are creative, patient and skillful enough to make memorable products. Persian Handicrafts are the Best Souvenirs for the Tours to Iran. A handicraft made by Khatam Kari has a high value if the shapes are small and have symmetrical shapes with regular designs. It is also possible to heat the Khatam surface to be soft enough in order to be wrapped around different objects to make chessboards, jewelry boxes and frames.
Some Points about Khatam Handicrafts
Iranian handicrafts are handicraft works originating from Iran. All handicrafts made with Khatam Kari of Isfahan are of high quality. There are a lot of products which can be made by this art. Some of them are as the following:
• Chess board • Backgammon board • Vase • Clock • Box • Table • Pipe • Sugar pot • Mirror and photo frames • Pen holder • Office set
All these products of KhatamKari can be used for different purposes. You can use a Khatamkari chess and backgammon board to have fun with your family and friends. It is also possible to design your desk with a Khatam Kari office set or a Khatamkari pen holder. A lot of people are interested to give a Khatam kari photo frame, clock or box to their family friends, colleagues and family members.
KhatamKari
KhatamKari is one of the arts which can be taught in various workshops of Isfahan. These days, a huge number of people are keen on learning it because it is one of the magic arts which can be considered as a home job to make fabulous artworks. It is possible to order and buy each KhatamKari product in different sizes. There are also some tips which can help you find a high quality Khatam product of Isfahan :
• You should pay attention to its wooden surface because it should be flat and made of good and strong wood.
• If the wooden surface does not absorb other parts, this product is not a high quality Khatam.
• There should be a lining cloth and special glue behind the product to show a high quality Khatam.
• There should be no troughs on the surface of Khatam when you touch it.
• The corners and sides of a KhatamKari product should be symmetrical in size, design and color.
• The whole product should be polished completely. If it is not fully lacquered, dust and humid will change its appearance by passing time.
• The smaller is the size of each shape, the higher will be the quality of that product. Also, if there are some flowers which are polygons and more.
When you buy a Khatam Kari product of Isfahan, you need to pay a close attention to take a good care of it. There is a list of some protection tips :
• You should keep a Khatam Kari product away from hit and pressure.
• Every kind of scratch will remove its polyester layer which results in damaging the triangles.
• You can clean the product with a wet cloth and then use a dry cloth.
• This product should not be exposed to humidity because its materials will be damaged.
