Historical Preamble

In philological terms,Marquetry or "mo'arraq"
applies to "everything veined in gener-
al", but in this particular type of art it
means creating handsome motifs and
patterns which are formed by the
composition and juxtaposition of col-
ored woods on a background of black
wood or polyester.

The histohc origins of this art are
not precisely known, but its similarities
with tile tessellation leave no doubt as
to the relationship of these two arts. In
order to become acquainted with the
roots of this art, reference must be
made to the evolution of tile tessella-
tion, and the Gonbad-e Sorkh (Red
Dome) in Maragheh, built under the
Ilkhanids, may be cited as a first ex-
ample in case. This dome bears a

very simple type of tile work in this
style.

Tile tessellation continued as such
under the Mongols, reaching the peak
of its perfection in the Safavid period,
from which valuable tile works remain.
This prosperity declined during the
Afghan invasion and under Zand rule.
And in the Qajar period, tessellated
tile work was but a weak copy of past
masterpieces. Until then, the patterns
used in tile tessellation had been
arabesques. But, following the travels
of a number of artists to Europe and
their ensuing inclination toward Euro-
pean arts and culture, numerous cha-
nges occurred in tile work patterns.
Thereafter, human figures and other
elements, such as military weapons,

appeared in the Qajar period.

Since then, this art has lacked its
past prosperity and only a few artists
have strived at keeping this art alive.

bring from "Inlay on wood"
by: Minoo Karim-Nia