Techniques

Knotted pile weavingقالی‌بافی

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

Process

1. 1Warp the loom to the planned density and width.
2. 2Weave a flatwoven starting band to lock the ends.
3. 3Tie each knot row — symmetric or asymmetric — following the design.
4. 4Insert wefts and beat the row down with the comb.
5. 5Trim the pile progressively to an even height.
6. 6Finish the far end, cut the piece down and wash it.

Variations

Asymmetric (Persian) knotting allows finer curvilinear drawing; symmetric knotting is more usual in tribal and village work.

Conservation

Rotate to even out wear, avoid folding along a single line, and secure selvedges before they unravel.

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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.

Process

1. 1Cut and file rods to a precise triangular section.
2. 2Bundle rods into a six-pointed star unit and bind tightly.
3. 3Glue bundles into larger blocks and cure under pressure.
4. 4Slice the block into sheets under one millimetre thick.
5. 5Lay sheets onto the prepared carcase and press until dry.
6. 6Scrape level, then polish and finish.

Variations

Unit density varies by workshop; finer work packs visibly more elements into the same area.

Conservation

Keep humidity steady. Lifted sheets should be re-adhered by a conservator, not re-glued in place.

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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.

Process

1. 1Raise or spin the vessel and anneal it.
2. 2Fill the interior with pitch for support.
3. 3Transfer the design onto the surface.
4. 4Outline with a tracing chisel, then work grounds and textures.
5. 5Melt out the pitch and clean the piece.
6. 6Patinate or polish to finish.

Variations

Named grounds and textures differ between Isfahan and Tabriz workshops; depth of relief distinguishes hand work from stamped imitation.

Conservation

Avoid abrasive polish, which rounds chisel edges and flattens the design.

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Tazhib illuminationتذهیب

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

Process

1. 1Size and burnish the paper.
2. 2Rule the frame and lay out the ornamental scheme.
3. 3Apply gold, then burnish it.
4. 4Paint pigment grounds around the gold.
5. 5Draw the fine outlining last.

Variations

Timurid Herat schemes are denser and more regular than later Qajar work.

Conservation

Paper and gold both suffer from light and humidity swings; display in low, filtered light only.

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Underglaze paintingنقاشی زیرلعابی

Pigment is painted onto the biscuit body and sealed under a transparent glaze in a second firing.

Process

1. 1Biscuit-fire the formed body.
2. 2Paint the design in metal-oxide pigments.
3. 3Dip or pour the transparent glaze.
4. 4Glost-fire to maturity.

Variations

Haft-rang overglaze work fires a broader palette at lower temperature; cuerda seca separates colours with a greasy resist line.

Conservation

Crazed glazes admit salts; wash only under specialist advice.

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Supplementary weft brocadeزری‌بافی

Extra patterning wefts float across a ground weave to build the dense repeating bands characteristic of termeh.

Process

1. 1Dress the loom with a fine warp.
2. 2Weave the ground cloth.
3. 3Introduce supplementary wefts on the patterned picks.
4. 4Cut and finish the reverse floats.

Variations

Historic drawloom work carries more colours per repeat than most current production.

Conservation

Store rolled rather than folded; floats abrade quickly along a fold.

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