Monabbat-kari: Persian relief wood carving

Woods

Walnut is most common; pear and boxwood allow finer detail. Wood must be well seasoned to avoid cracking.

Centres

Abadeh in Fars is famous for small carved objects; Isfahan, Tabriz and Zanjan also have carvers.

Quality signs

• Crisp, deep undercutting
• Smooth, sanded background
• Consistent pattern repeats without being machine-identical
• Hand-cut joinery on boxes

A note on this guide

This is a general introduction written by the CraftPersia editorial team and has not yet been reviewed by a specialist. Workshop practice varies between towns and families; treat dates and figures as approximate and confirm details with makers, museums or published scholarship before relying on them.