Craft guide

Patterns, materials & techniques

نقش، ماده و فن

One map of the building blocks of Iranian handicrafts: 42 patterns, 31 materials and 39 techniques, each linked to its own reference page.

Patterns & motifs

Design units and layouts — what to look for and why a match never proves origin.

Persian silk brocade with boteh (paisley) pattern

Boteh بته

A teardrop form with a curled tip, the ancestor of the European paisley pattern, found across weaving, printing and metal.

Persian silk brocade with Shah Abbasi flower pattern

Shah Abbasi palmette شاه عباسی

A large composite palmette named after Shah Abbas I, usually set on a scrolling vine system.

Bijar rug with an all-over herati field around a stepped medallion

Herati هراتی

A small repeating field pattern: a rosette inside a diamond, flanked by four curved leaves often called fish.

Velvet Fragment with Bird and Flower Design

Gol-o-morgh گل و مرغ

The flower-and-bird pairing, widespread in painting, lacquer, enamel and tile from the Qajar period onward.

Eslimi arabesque اسلیمی

Continuous scrolling vine work, split-leaf and rhythmic, used as the connective tissue of Persian ornament.

Gereh (geometric knot) گره

Strapwork star-and-polygon systems generated from a compass grid, shared between tile, inlay and lattice woodwork.

Varamin carpet with mina-khani floral lattice

Mina khani میناخانی

An all-over lattice of small rosettes linked by vines and larger flower heads, common on village and city carpets.

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Afshan افشان

A scattered, all-over floral field with no dominant medallion, meaning 'scattered' or 'strewn'.

Lachak-toranj لچک ترنج

The classic layout of a central medallion (toranj) with quarter-medallion corners (lachak).

Garden (bagh) باغ

Fields divided into compartments with water channels, trees and flowers, echoing the chahar-bagh garden plan.

Panel (khesti) خشتی

Rows of square or diamond panels, each holding a tree, vase or flower; strongly linked to Bakhtiari weaving.

Tree of life درخت زندگی

A single tree or cypress rising through the field, sometimes with birds or a vase at its base.

Enthronement of Luhrasp, Shahnameh painting with dark cypresses behind the garden screen

Cypress (sarv) سرو

A tall, pointed tree form, often in rows, and one of the images most often linked to the boteh.

Prayer niche (mehrabi) محرابی

An arched niche at one end of a rug or panel, echoing a mihrab; also used on non-religious pieces.

Vase design (goldani) گلدانی

Flowering vases repeated or stacked in the field, a layout seen on carpets, tiles and textiles.

Hunting scene (shekargah) شکارگاه

Mounted hunters, animals and trees across the field; a court subject taken up by carpets, miniature painting and tiles.

"Zal in the Simurgh's Nest", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)

Simorgh سیمرغ

The mythical bird of the Shahnameh, drawn with long plumed tail feathers.

Reverse of a 1 qiran coin of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar with lion-and-sun emblem

Lion and sun شیر و خورشید

A lion with a rising sun behind its back, used on coins, tiles, metalwork and textiles over several centuries.

Peacock (tavus) طاووس

A peacock with a fanned tail, seen on tiles, metalwork, carpets and enamel.

Antique Senneh rug with a dense herati (mahi) field around a diamond medallion

Fish (mahi) ماهی

Paired leaf forms read as fish, usually flanking a rosette in a lattice; closely tied to the herati repeat.

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Sarband bouquet سربند

Small repeated bouquets set in rows; the name comes from a district near Arak.

Joshaghan lattice جوشقان

Diamond lattices of stylised flowers named after the weaving town of Joshaghan.

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Gol-farang rose گل فرنگ

Naturalistic cabbage roses and bouquets, a 19th-century taste that shows European influence.

Cloud band (chi) ابر چینی

Twisting ribbon-like cloud forms that entered Iranian design from Chinese art.

Khatai flower ختایی

Stylised palmettes, lotus-like blossoms and buds that run along scrolling stems.

Shamseh sunburst at the crown of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque dome, Isfahan

Shamseh شمسه

A sunburst rosette with radiating points, used on illuminated pages, book covers and ceilings.

Fragment of a Northwest Persian Medallion Carpet

Medallion (toranj) ترنج

A lobed central medallion, usually lozenge-shaped or oval, found on book covers, carpets and ceilings.

Eight-pointed star ستاره هشت‌پر

Two overlapping squares forming an eight-pointed star; a key unit in tile, wood and inlay geometry.

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Ten-point rosette شمسه ده‌پر

A ten-pointed star rosette that sits at the heart of many girih patterns.

Banna'i brick-and-tile inscription, Friday Mosque, Natanz

Brick script (banna'i) بنایی

Square Kufic lettering built from glazed and plain bricks, so that words form geometric blocks.

Tile with Kufic inscription, Gonbad-e Qabus region

Kufic border حاشیه کوفی

Angular script or script-like bands used on ceramics, metalwork and carpet borders.

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Running dog border موج

A wave-like hooked border, also called a 'wave' in Persian.

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Gabbeh animal figures نقوش حیوانی گبه

Simple goats, deer, lions and birds scattered across plain gabbeh fields.

Qashqai kilim with bands of stepped lozenges and zigzags

Stepped lozenge لوزی پله‌ای

Stepped diamonds and hooks typical of flatwoven kilim, jajim and rug borders.

Pateh embroidered panel with boteh and tree design

Kerman boteh cluster بته کرمانی

Rich clusters of boteh and floral sprays worked in dense wool embroidery on pateh.

Birds and fish مرغ و ماهی

Birds and fish placed together, often on metal, ceramics and wedding textiles.

Court scene (majlesi) مجلسی

Figures seated in garden or palace settings, shown with music, poetry or feasting.

Khayyam scene مجلس خیامی

A poet and a companion with wine and a garden, drawn from popular illustrations of the Rubaiyat.

Shahnameh scene مجلس شاهنامه

Episodes from Ferdowsi's Book of Kings, such as Rostam's battles, on paintings, tiles and coffee-house art.

Panel with Rosebush, Birds, and Deer Pattern

Bird on a branch مرغ بر شاخه

A single songbird on a flowering branch, a close relative of gol-o-morgh used on lacquer and enamel.

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Pen-box stripe قلمدانی

Narrow vertical stripes filled with small boteh and floral motifs, used on termeh.

Honeycomb (lane-zanbori) لانه زنبوری

A tight hexagon repeat used in inlay, lattice and tile work.

Materials

Fibres, woods, metals, pigments and dyes: where they come from and how they behave.

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Wool پشم

A protein fibre used for Iranian pile weaving, flatweaves and felt. Fleece, yarn preparation and construction vary; the finished surface does not identify a breed or origin.

Silk ابریشم

Reeled filament used for fine pile, highlights, termeh wefts and brocade grounds.

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Cotton پنبه

Used for carpet foundations, block-printed cloth and embroidery grounds.

Walnut wood چوب گردو

Timber used in some carved and inlaid objects; a decorative veneer does not identify every wood in the support.

Kashkul (alms vessel) with dragon-headed terminals

Brass برنج

A copper-zinc alloy favoured for engraved vessels and trays because it holds a crisp chisel line.

Copper مس

Softer than brass, traditional for tinned cooking vessels and deeply raised forms.

Earthenware Bowl with White slip and Polychrome Decoration

Clay (earthenware) خاک رس

Earthenware clay underlies Persian village pottery, slip-painted wares and most architectural tile; quartz-rich stonepaste (frit) bodies are recorded separately.

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Natural dyes رنگ‌های گیاهی

Madder, indigo, weld, walnut husk, pomegranate rind and cochineal give the palette of older Iranian textiles.

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Camel bone استخوان

Cut into fine rods to supply the white elements of khatam inlay.

Qajar silk and metal-thread brocade panel

Metal thread نخ فلزی

Fine metallic strip or wrapped thread couched onto a textile ground for raised, reflective embroidery.

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Leather چرم

Flexible material used for some soles, bindings and structural components.

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Silver نقره

Ductile metal drawn into wire for some filigree work.

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Paper کاغذ

Absorbent sheet used in marbling, manuscript arts and painted lacquer objects.

Lacquer coating لاک

Layered protective and decorative coatings used on some painted paper and wood objects; recipes vary.

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Turquoise فیروزه

Blue-green stone fragments set into metalwork for decorative contrast.

Gold leaf ورق طلا

Very thin beaten gold applied to paper, lacquer, wood and plaster for illumination and gilding.

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Shell gold طلای حل‌شده

Powdered gold mixed with a binder and applied with a brush, used for fine illumination lines.

Lapis lazuli (ultramarine) لاجورد

A deep blue stone ground and refined into the ultramarine used in manuscript painting and illumination.

Bone and ivory substitutes جایگزین عاج

Bone and modern substitutes used in inlay where ivory was once used; ivory itself is restricted.

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Vitreous enamel لعاب مینا

Powdered coloured glass fused onto metal at high heat.

Stonepaste Bowl with Blue and Black Underglaze Painting

Stonepaste (frit) خمیر سنگ

A white ceramic body made of ground quartz, glass frit and a little clay, used for fine glazed wares.

Opaque glaze لعاب مات

White opaque glaze used to hide coloured bodies and provide a ground for painting.

Star tile with phoenix, cobalt-blue glaze

Cobalt blue کبالت

The blue colourant of underglaze painting; Kashan was once associated with a cobalt source.

Gypsum plaster (gach) گچ

Fast-setting plaster carved while soft into wall and ceiling ornament.

Marble and soapstone سنگ مرمر و صابونی

Stones carved into vessels, grave markers and architectural parts; soapstone is common for Mashhad cookware.

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Mulberry wood چوب توت

A dense wood valued for the bowls of the tar and setar.

Membrane (skin) پوست

Thin skin stretched over the bowl of some instruments, such as the tar.

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Palm leaf and reed برگ خرما و نی

Leaf strips and reeds used for basketry, mats and trays in the south of Iran.

Goat hair موی بز

Strong dark fibre used in tent cloth, ropes and some flatweaves.

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Kork wool کرک

Soft under-fleece from the neck and shoulders, prized for fine carpets such as some Kashan and Nain pieces.

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Madder روناس

A plant root giving reds, pinks and browns in carpet and textile dyeing.

Techniques

How objects are made — weaving, carving, inlay, glazing and more, step by step.

Knotted pile weaving قالی‌بافی

Pile is built by tying short lengths of yarn around warp pairs, row by row, then beating down and trimming the surface.

Inlaid wooden door made for Nasir al-Din Shah

Wood inlay (khatam) خاتم

Fine rods of contrasting wood, bone and metal are bundled into a star unit, glued, sliced into thin sheets and applied to a carcase.

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Chisel engraving (qalam-zani) قلم‌زنی

A pitch-filled metal vessel is worked from the outside with small chisels struck by hammer, raising line and texture rather than removing much metal.

Illuminated Folio from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291)

Tazhib illumination تذهیب

Gold and fine pigment are applied in disciplined ornamental bands and grounds around text or painting.

Underglaze painting نقاشی زیرلعابی

Colour is applied beneath a glaze layer; body preparation and firing sequences vary between workshops and ceramic systems.

Textile with field of poppies on a golden ground

Supplementary weft brocade زری‌بافی

Additional pattern wefts complement a ground weave. Termeh includes different weave structures and should not automatically be identified as supplementary-weft brocade.

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Weft-faced flatweaving گلیم‌بافی

Weft-faced flatweaving is a working process used in kilim, zilu. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

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Warp-faced strip weaving جاجیم‌بافی

Warp-faced strip weaving is a working process used in jajim. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

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Textile block printing قلمکارسازی

Textile block printing is a working process used in qalamkar. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

Siyah-doozi (blackwork) embroidery from Sistan

Surface embroidery سوزن‌دوزی سطحی

Surface embroidery is a working process used in pateh. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

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Metal-thread couching سرمه‌دوزی

Metal-thread couching is a working process used in sermeh-duzi. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

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Wet felting نمدمالی

Wet felting is a working process used in namad. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

Giveh upper stitching گیوه‌بافی

Giveh upper stitching is a working process used in giveh. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

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Enamelling on metal میناکاری

Enamelling on metal is a working process used in minakari. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

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Wire filigree ملیله‌کاری

Wire filigree is a working process used in malileh. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

Cut-tile mosaic کاشی معرق

Cut-tile mosaic is a working process used in moarraq-tile. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

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Ceramic overglaze enamelling لعاب رویی

Ceramic overglaze enamelling is a working process used in minai-ware. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

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Wheel throwing چرخ سفالگری

Wheel throwing is a working process used in lalejin-pottery. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

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Geometric lattice joinery گره‌چینی

Geometric lattice joinery is a working process used in gereh-chini. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

Wood relief carving منبت‌کاری

Wood relief carving is a working process used in monabbat. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

Paper marbling ابر و باد

Paper marbling is a working process used in abr-o-bad. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

Painted lacquer finishing نقاشی لاکی

Painted lacquer finishing is a working process used in lacquer-painting. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

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Turquoise fragment inlay فیروزه‌کوبی

Turquoise fragment inlay is a working process used in firuzeh-kubi. Sequence and materials vary between workshops; this entry is an educational overview, not an authentication method.

Asymmetric (Persian) knot گره فارسی

A pile knot wrapped around one warp and passed under the next, giving fine, sloping pile.

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Symmetric (Turkish) knot گره ترکی

A pile knot wrapped around two warps, common in north-western Iran such as Tabriz and Heriz.

Dyed yarn drying on the roof of the surviving traditional dyers' row of a bazaar

Natural dyeing رنگرزی طبیعی

Colouring fibre with natural-source colourants; vat and mordant systems require different preparation.

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Drawloom weaving نقشه‌بندی دستگاه

A loom with a pattern harness that lets a helper lift warps for complex repeats such as termeh and zari.

Cut-pile velvet مخمل‌بافی

Weaving a pile over rods and cutting it to make velvet; Kashan velvets were famous.

Royal Round Tent made for Muhammad Shah (wall panel with three design units)

Chain stitch زنجیره‌دوزی

A looped stitch used for outline and fill in Rasht work and other embroidery.

Felt appliqué and inlay وصله‌دوزی

Setting pieces of coloured felt into or onto a ground; used in Rasht work.

Repoussé and chasing برجسته‌کاری

Raising metal from the back and refining it from the front with punches.

Metal inlay (koftgari) کوفتگری

Hammering gold or silver wire into a cross-hatched steel or brass surface.

Pierced steelwork مشبک‌کاری فولاد

Cutting, chiselling and piercing steel into plaques, standards and finials.

Lustre firing زرین‌فام

A metallic sheen made by painting metal compounds over glaze and firing in a smoky kiln.

Glass blowing شیشه‌گری فوتی

Gathering molten glass on a pipe and inflating it into vessels.

Carved Stucco Panel from Between Two Arches

Carved plaster (gach-bori) گچ‌بری

Carving wet gypsum plaster into relief panels, niches and muqarnas.

Carved soft-stone samovar and teapot at Kuh-e Sangi park, Mashhad

Stone turning and carving سنگ‌تراشی

Shaping soapstone and other stones on lathes and by hand into pots and vessels.

Instrument bowl carving کاسه‌تراشی ساز

Carving a hollow wooden instrument body; a tar is commonly carved, while setar bowls may also be assembled from shaped ribs.

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Leather case binding جلدسازی چرمی

Sewing gatherings and covering them in tooled and gilded leather with a flap (lesan).