About
Khatamkari is one of Iran’s most beautiful traditional crafts, known for its intricate geometric designs and fine inlay work. Combining skill, patience and precision, it has been practiced for centuries and is considered a symbol of Iranian craftsmanship.
The craft developed mainly in the cities of Shiraz and Isfahan, each with its own distinctive style. Khatam veneers are made from natural materials such as wood, bone and metal. While there are many different Khatam patterns, they are all created from small triangular units.
In this workshop, you will learn how to draw traditional Khatam patterns using a ruler and compass, explore ways to create your own designs, and discover the process of making Khatam veneers.
Image: “Khatam Doors at Golestan Palace, Iran.” Pegah Eidipour. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike.
Key Information
Who is this course for?
All levels of ability and experience are welcome. You must be aged 18 or over to participate in our programmes.
What days/times do I attend?
Monday – Friday, 14 – 18 December 2026, 10:00 – 16:30
How many students can attend?
10 people
Where will this course take place?
This course will take place at our studios at The King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, 19-22 Charlotte Road, London EC2A 3SG.
What should I bring to class?
All materials are provided on this course.
Wear comfortable clothing that you do not mind getting slightly messy. Avoid wearing baggy clothing (especially sleeves), loose jewellery, high heels or open-toed shoes.
FAQs
Do you offer concessions?
Yes, we offer concessions for Seniors/60+, full-time students and people who are unemployed/in receipt of benefits.
Concessions cannot be applied in retrospect. To receive a concession, please apply via our online form. We will then send you a discount code to use when booking your space.
Terms & Conditions
The School reserves the right to discontinue or suspend a Course up to fourteen (14) calendar days before the advertised start date of the Course. This course requires a minimum number of enrollments to run.
The School may take and use images of you and/or your work for course advertisement and social media purposes.
Our normal terms and conditions apply.
Tutor Biography
Marzieh Kaviani is an artist who was born and brought up in Shiraz, Iran, in a culture where crafts and traditions are still part of daily life. Since very early childhood she showed interest and talent in art by imitating the crafts that were practiced by her parents and learned many basic techniques before going to school. She pursued science as it seemed to have the answer for her curiosity about how the world works. In 2016 she was awarded a Msc. in Biotechnology. However, creative activities and making crafts never stopped during these years of studying science. About seven years ago she started to practice geometry as a hobby and gradually had the chance to meet other geometers from all around the world via online classes and was recognized as a promising artist to the online community of artists. In 2021 Marzieh became a member of Fars Masters of Handicraft Society and started a small business making ornamented wooden boxes.
In 2023 she moved to London to do an MA in Traditional Arts in the King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts and graduated with a Distinction in 2025. In her research at the School, she was looking for connections and overlaps of geometric patterns and patterns in the living world and she found similar patterns in pattern formation and cell division.
