Term · khātam

Khatam (micro-mosaic inlay)

خاتم

Inlay built from bundled rods of wood, bone and metal cut into thin slices and laid in geometric star patterns over a wooden carcass.

Meaning

Inlay built from bundled rods of wood, bone and metal cut into thin slices and laid in geometric star patterns over a wooden carcass.

Spelling and pronunciation

  • Persian: خاتم
  • Transliteration: khātam
  • English usage: Khatam (micro-mosaic inlay)

Spellings vary between dealers, museums and regions. Usage notes are under review.

Used in these crafts

Khatamkari

A Persian inlay art in which fine rods of wood, bone and metal are bundled into star units, sliced into thin sheets and applied to a wooden surface to form dense geometric tessellation.