Persian Khatam-Framed Hand-Painted Miniature, Figural Scenes, Signed

At the center of this intricate frame, two figures in classical Persian dress occupy a lush garden setting — one kneeling in crimson robes and raising a tambourine, the other standing in pale blue, lifting a vessel aloft among stalks of wheat. The central miniature is painted on camel bone, bordered by a cobalt-and-green floral surround enriched with gilt detailing, and set behind glass in a stepped recess. The surrounding khatam frame — the ancient Persian art of micro-mosaic inlay — is built from thousands of precisely cut geometric pieces in bone, brass, and wood, forming the dense, interlocking star-and-polygon patterns synonymous with Isfahan and Shiraz workshop traditions. Inset into the khatam ground at top, bottom, and sides are four hand-painted figural vignettes on camel bone panels: a gathering of courtiers at top, mounted horsemen in full gallop at right and left, and a pastoral scene at bottom, each executed in the same lively, gestural hand as the central image.

The piece functions as both a freestanding display — fitted with an easel back — and a wall-hanging. The combination of khatam inlay with embedded painted miniatures is a hallmark of high-craft Persian decorative objects produced in Isfahan and Shiraz workshops throughout the 20th century, where the two disciplines — micro-mosaic woodwork and Persian miniature painting — were frequently united in frames, boxes, and decorative panels intended for export and for home collections. The miniature is signed lower right.

CONDITION

Very Good overall. The khatam inlay is intact with no losses to the geometric mosaic ground, and the glass protecting the central miniature is unbroken. The supplemental reference image shows minor lifting or delamination to a small decorative element at the lower edge of the inner frame surround — consistent with age and humidity cycling rather than impact damage. Painted vignette panels retain strong color with no apparent flaking.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall: 10⅛" H × 8⅝" W × ⅝" D
• Visible (central miniature): 4½" H × 3" W
• Materials: Wood, brass, camel bone, glass
• Display: Freestanding (easel back) or wall-hanging
• Signed lower right on central miniature