Khatamkari Picture Frame

Almost antique, this elegant Persian Khatamkari picture frame pre-dates the ascension of the Shah (1941). Meticulously created by an artisan's hands using thin inlaid veneers, this Persian style of marquetry is made with thin sticks of dyed beech or Ziziphus wood, brass, silver & camel bones or horn. 2 elaborate & intricate borders of inlaid traditional Arabic repeating patterns create an overall neutral palette with a slightly golden glint. The 6-pointed star symbolizing the Prophet Sulayman (the Biblical King Solomon) figures prominently in the larger border. The frame is accented with an inside bevel (shown with & w/o colored insert). The outside edge of the frame features a simple repeating black diamond pattern. Consistent with its age, the overall varnished finish shows some crazing & crackling, especially at the corner joints; seen from the back, the edge veneer has slightly lifted in spots but remains solidly attached. Neither of these conditions detract at all from its visual quality. The frame has a wood rear-access easel backing. A wire hanger had been added to the back and, due to wood shrinkage with age, thumbtacks were later added to keep the backing in place when hung on the wall (not needed if table-set). I added an ivory cold-pressed beveled matte and embellished the bevel with a thin strip of patterned paper to complement the frame's pattern design. No foxing. Glass pane. Very ornate, yet understated with old world panache.