Bidspirit auction | A PERSIAN KHATAMKARI INLAID FOLDING

A PERSIAN KHATAMKARI INLAID FOLDING BOOK STAND (RAHLE), 19TH CENTURY. - A Persian folding book stand, or rahle, dating to the 19th century Qajar period. The piece is constructed from two interlocking wooden panels joined by a central hinge. The interior surfaces are decorated with intricate khatamkari micro-marquetry, a technique employing thousands of minute geometric tesserae of bone, brass, and stained woods. The design features central diamond-shaped lozenges set within fields of repeating star and hexagonal patterns, enclosed by multiple geometric borders. The lower sections of the panels are carved with pierced openwork in a lobed foliate design. The reverse surfaces are decorated with hand-painted floral motifs, including roses and smaller blossoms in shades of red, yellow, and green against a dark ground.  H: Approximately 44.6cm