How khatam is made, step by step

Filing the rods

Thin rods of wood, bone and metal are filed to triangular sections. Their accuracy decides the quality of every later stage.

Building the bundles

Rods are glued into bundles so that their ends form a small star or hexagon. Bundles are pressed, dried and combined into larger bundles.

Slicing and laying

The bundle is sliced into thin sheets. The sheets are glued to a wooden core and then sanded and varnished.

• Filing
• Bundling and pressing
• Slicing into sheets
• Laying onto a core
• Sanding and finishing

Centres of the craft

Shiraz and Isfahan are the best-known centres; Tehran also has workshops. Attribution of an individual piece to a city needs maker or workshop information.