Khatam Museum or Sa’adat House: Getting to Know a Genuine Iranian Art

Khatamkari is an ancient Persian technique of inlaying. It is a version of marquetry where art forms are made by decorating the surface of wooden articles with delicate pieces of wood, bone, and metal precisely cut in intricate geometric patterns. To show the evolution of this art and its best works, a museum named "Khatam Museum" has been established in one of the oldest neighborhoods of Shiraz.

Shiraz, the City of Khatam

Wood, ivory, bone, metal brass, and gold are the main raw materials of khatamkari. The higher the fineness of the inlaid work, the higher the value of the product. The khatam of Shiraz is known as one of the finest and most authentic khatams of Iran, the origin of which dates back more than 10 centuries ago. The pulpit of the Jame Atiq Mosque, which is decorated with khatamkari is one of the most valuable pieces of this art in Shiraz. Although this statement cannot be confirmed with certainty, many experts consider Shiraz to be the origin of the art of khatamkari.

The art of khatamkari reached its peak during the Safavid era (1501 to 1736 AD) during which the expert artists had been gathered in Isfahan and many students from different parts of Iran came to them to learn this art. During the Qajar period (19th century), attention to khatamkari had decreased to some extent but in the 20th century and following the establishment of the Mustazrfa School of Crafts, master craftsmen were trained in this art and the art of khatamkari was revived.

Nowadays, khatankari is one of the renowned arts of Iranians, and most foreign tourists usually take some khatam works with them as souvenirs and remembrance of their trip to Iran.

History of Khatam Museum of Shiraz

Khatam Museum has been established in an old house called “Khaneye Sa’adat” (Sa’adat House), which had been built by a person named “Ali Akbar Sa’adat”. Sa’adat was a famous businessman of Shiraz and had built this house in an old neighborhood called “Sang-e Siah” (Black Stone).

The Sa’adat House was inscribed in Iran’s list of national heritage in 2003 and in 2005 certain operations were carried out to restore the building by reconstructing some parts of the house.

Architectural Feature of Khatam Museum of Shiraz

Khatam Museum of Shiraz is very interesting because of its pleasant architectural form and artistic decorations. This house has many large rooms, each of which is very beautiful and pleasant. Because of these characteristics, Sa’adat House has become Khatam Museum, where valuable works of Shiraz’s genuine art of Khatamkari are displayed.

Tileworks, brickwork, girih tiles, and carved stones have been used for decorating different parts of the house. Using wood to build the roof has given it a special effect. Images of kings and famous personalities, created by tiling or painting, can be seen on the columns and walls.

Khatam Museum of Shiraz is located in the neighborhood of the tomb of Sibawayh, the renowned Iranian leading grammarian. The rooms of the house are built around its central courtyard. This pleasant courtyard has a small pond - in the style of old Iranian houses - and small gardens have been created on its four sides. Three-door and five-door rooms surround the courtyard. The overall plan of the yard is oval in shape. It was not very common for the houses built during the Qajar to have an oval-shaped pond, thus, this pond can also be considered as one of the distinguishing features of Sa’adat House compared to other historical houses in Shiraz.

The five-door rooms are built in the northern part of the mansion. The wooden ceiling and colored glass of these rooms have created a pleasant harmony. There is a porch with eight columns in front of these rooms. These columns are covered with plaster works.

The three-door and ground-floor rooms are located on the west side of the building, which was used as a living place for the residents in winter.

This house has two entrances. The main entrance is in the south and the other entrance is located along the main entrance and in the east of the building. Although most of the houses built during that period mostly had vestibules at the entrance, the entrance of this house does not have a vestibule and is connected to the courtyard only with a small corridor.

Objects Preserved in the Khatam Museum of Shiraz

Old tools and khatam works from the past to the present are among the works displayed in this museum. Also, pictures of old masters can be seen in this museum. Museum visitors can see the different stages of making khatamkari works.