Khatam

What it is

Khatam is an Iranian inlay craft and a form of marquetry. The maker does not paint an image. Instead, small cut pieces are fitted together to make a design on the surface of an object. Wood of various colours forms the bulk of the work, and bone, ivory, brass and silver may appear as well, along with gold, aluminium and twisted wire. Two other names for the craft are khatam-kari and khatam-bandi. Khatam has been made in Iran since ancient times and is still produced there.

Objects and uses

The technique appears on shrines, lanterns, pen cases, mirror frames, small boxes, boxes made to hold the Quran, and on doors and windows. Inlaid motifs are a common ornament on the doors of holy places, and examples can be seen in Mashhad, Qom, Shiraz and Rey. Rooms decorated in khatam in two Tehran palaces, Sa'dabad and the Marble Palace, are counted among the masterpieces of the art. In the Safavid period the craft took on a special importance, and artists made precious pieces.

History and cities

Under the Safavids the craft flourished in the south of Iran, and Shiraz, Isfahan and Kerman are named as its leading cities. Today it is mainly practised in Shiraz, Isfahan and Tehran, in workshops run by the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran and in private workshops. Teaching passes from a master to a pupil. Many finished works end up in museums inside Iran, while others belong to private collections elsewhere in the world.

A master's life

One master of the craft was Mohammad Bagher Hakim-Elahi. He learned it in Shiraz from Sanee Khatam. In the early 1950s he moved to Tehran, and he lived there until his death in March 2012. His output ran from small frames and jewellery boxes to much larger objects, among them chandeliers and tables. Some of these are held in museums in Iran. Most, however, belong to private collections elsewhere, including southern California. He passed the craft on to his younger brother, Asadollah, who died of lymphoma in the late 1970s, in his mid forties.

How Khatam is kept

Craftspeople work in workshops, usually in Shiraz, Isfahan or Tehran. First they gather thin rods of coloured wood, and sometimes of bone, ivory, brass or silver. The rods are glued into long bundles whose cross sections may be round, rectangular or polygonal. Each bundle is then cut into slices. Slices are joined and matched until a geometric pattern forms, and the pattern is fixed into the surface of the object. The work is finished by smoothing, oiling and polishing, and hundreds of pieces can sit within a single square inch.

When and where

Khatam is described in the sources as an ancient Persian technique, with no single date of origin given. It took on special significance in the Safavid era, when artists produced particularly valued works. Because it is a workshop craft rather than a festival, it is made all year round, and no one day or season is attached to it.

Khatam belongs to Iran. It is practised mainly in Shiraz, Isfahan and Tehran, and it grew strong in the southern cities under the Safavids. Inlaid ornament can be seen on the doors of holy places in Mashhad, Qom, Shiraz and Rey, and in decorated rooms at two Tehran palaces, Sa'dabad and the Marble Palace. Workshops of the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran and private workshops both carry on the craft.

What Khatam means

Khatam carries the standing of a refined art. Under the Safavids it gained special significance, and artists made precious works that were prized in their own time. Because inlaid motifs often decorate the doors of holy places and the boxes that hold the Quran, the craft also has a place in religious settings. Skill passes from master to pupil, so a workshop's teaching line matters as much as any single piece.

Questions people ask about Khatam

See also

Turkmen rugHandmade textiles woven by Turkmen tribes, featuring geometric patterns and natural dyes.GabbehA thick, boldly simple wool rug, hand-woven by women in Iran's Zagros MountainsPersian gardenAn ancient tradition of creating walled, geometric sanctuaries of shade and flowing waterPersian miniatureA tradition of small, brightly coloured paintings created for books and albums.

Good reading and sources

• Library of Congress CatalogLibrary of Congress, Article
• Library of Congress CatalogLibrary of Congress, Article

• Khatam on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.