Qualitative comparison of Khatam’s works of the past and today
Despite the false prosperity of today’s Khatam, the works of artists in this period have a very low durability. Because the style of work and the tools and consumables of the work have changed and the artist no longer works like the old one. Khatam is essentially a geometric pattern formed by stacking small triangles.
In fact, it is the order that influences the work, which makes it one of the most valuable and prominent works. But today this order is rarely seen in business. A six-pointed star, for example, looks beautiful when its dimensions are neat and precise.
Khatam Sazan Tehran and Isfahan from Shirazi professors learned this art. Currently, Mohsen Sanei Khatam, the son of Professor Mohammad, is working in Tehran. Haj Khalil Golrizkhatami went to Isfahan after the Marble Palace and settled there and raised many students.
Regarding the art of Khatam, it should be said that the quality of Khatam Shiraz is much better than Isfahan. Because in addition to the use of primer in Khatam of this city, the method of gluing and other steps are also different from Khatam of Isfahan.
In Shiraz, they also do good work with orange wood (for white), which is much better in terms of quality than plastic. While in Isfahan, plastic is used.
Currently, most of Khatam’s works are produced in Isfahan, and this work is done in workshops for underage teenagers with minimum wages. They make inlaid sheets and stick them on wood.
This is how our traditional arts and crafts are being forgotten. At present, in Isfahan, carpenters work in a Persian style. But in Shiraz, Khatam is no longer a name.
Shirazi artists were looking for the best work from the beginning. So the work was expensive and the market was not very expensive. In the past, in Isfahan, Khatam was cut with a thin diameter and glued to the back instead of a paper liner. Later, with the advent of the electric saw, the diameter of the work became thinner.
This is while they used to work in Shiraz Astar. This made repairing the work easier and more durable. Gradually, the Shirazis saw that it would be very economical to work in the style of Isfahan. So they abandoned the previous method and followed the Isfahan method. This gradually caused the value of the works in this field to be forgotten.
It goes without saying that there are good masters in Isfahan. But their number is small. Among these professors is Professor Yousef Ghanbari. Among the restored works of Khatam are the funds of the shrine of Hazrat Roghayeh, Habib Ibn Mazaher in Karbala and 72 martyrs of that land, all of which were made by Hussein Shafqat and he was also a good student of Haj Mohammad Sanei Khatam.
Another difference between Khatam Shiraz and Khatam Isfahan in addition to the liner is that in the past, natural colors were used (red, green, jujube, green, rust, which is created by combining vinegar on copper, white bone, 4 cows), but now they use chemical dyes. . Interestingly, even the sides of the bone were taken care of. For example, the front of the bone is used for more durable parts, and the side and back bones are used elsewhere.
In the past, all the jewelry and silver shops on Lalehzar Street in Tehran bought the works of Khatam Shiraz and sold them at very high prices.
In any case, the old Khatam of Shiraz is not comparable to today’s Khatam. As for the quality of Khatam, it is enough that in the past they used to work with heavy tools such as sub-wood, but today even the softest tools destroy the surface of a box and only use sandpaper.
It is also necessary to mention that, of course, making a Khatam work in the old style of Shiraz, and with it the quality and nature, regardless of the high cost, takes a lot of time. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for the reluctance to preserve the old style.
