Khatambad is one of the oldest known wood craft of Kashmir which involve unique indigenous process and practices. This traditional wood crafts uses wood that is carefully prepared, cut, intricately carved and then fitted together to form intricate geometrical designs with a definite mathematical foundation.
Wood used is locally available materials including pine, walnut, Burma Teak and Himalayan Silver Fir (Budloo). The basic technique consists of treating raw material, etching design, cutting the wood into flat pieces and battens.
The battens are the structural part of the Khatamband, intersecting each other by a halved lap and bridle joints and mitter joints. Grooves are carved in the batten. Thereafter the flat pieces of wood are inserted into grooved battens.
The battens and the pieces are alternatively fitted to each other without using nails or glue to transform the jigsaw puzzle into a beautifully intricate geometric patterns that echo the geometrical tessellating patterns of Islamic tradition. The last piece is fitted tightly so that no gaps are left.
The battens are adjusted to form even lines all along the room. While the assembled structure is very strong and durable, it can be dismantled down to the last component for reassembling at another location thus saving precious wood.
The kannat or master scale is used to produce all the components of one design. It contains all coded information and calculation of that particular design, represented in the form of markings on a wooden batten and passed from one generation of artisans to another. An artisan has to undergo several years of training under a ‘usta’ or master craftsman and learn all the stages of production.
Khatamband is used as false ceiling and paneling surface on products as well as interiors such as table tops, speaker’s dias, doors and various other furniture items. Although there are more than 120 designs and infinite variations, one of the most intricate and time-consuming design is the Barah Murabba, which has around 3750 pieces in a ceiling of 10ft x 10ft size.
The word Khattam is an Arabic word, meaning ‘patch’ and band is a Persian word meaning ‘lock’. This combination of words provides the literal meaning of Khatamband as ‘locking the patches’. Band or Bandi is common term in Kashmir, wherever the reference is ‘to fit’. The other local definition of the term is of Persian origin where ‘Khat’ is drawing of lines and ‘band’ is a scale, pronounced as ‘khat m band’
Khatamband may also have value addition of hand carving or hand painting. The Khatamband found in old monuments are richly decorated with fine naquashi work, where the wooden pieces are coated with paper machie layer and painted in traditional Kashmiri motifs and gold embellishments. The shrines of Dastagir Sahib or Naqshbandi and Khanqah’e moulla are the finest examples of such work.
GI Tag Registration Date : 06 January 2012
GI Tag Number : 204
Certificate Number : 164
Geographical Area : Jammu and Kashmir
Special Cover Release Date : 17 August 2021
Cancellation : Srinagar 190 001
Type : GI Tag Cover
Cover Identification Number : J&K/07/2021
Enlarged View of Illustration
Logo of Khatamband is depicted at the top right corner
Enlarged View of Cancellation
Logo of Khatamband is depicted in the cancellation
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