Monabat Gereh (Knot Carving)
In 1994, Mohammad Mehdi Tavakol created the Monabat Gereh (Knot Carving) artistic style, and this art style was considered unique because of its optimal use of wood and the use of natural wood knots and its incorporation with wood carving designs. In 2001, the knot carving was recognized as the top Iranian creative idea, and the festival’s jury believed that this new and unique art style made optimum use of wood and could create unique artworks using natural wood knots.
In this artistic style, since it is based on the nature of wood, Therefore, you must find the wood very carefully. Many of us are less attentive to our surroundings because of a lot of thought and work, And maybe we pass by an object many times, but no information comes into our minds, and we can’t give a precise answer if someone asks us about it. In this style of woodcarving, we do not merely pass by wood, and we create unique artwork by woods that may have been left unused or to be discarded.
Mohammad Mehdi Tavakol – Creator of Monabat Gereh art style
Choosing the appropriate wood for knot carving
Since we cannot use all types of wood in this art style, So first we have to search and after careful examination of the natural structure of the wood, find the desired wood piece. Walnut wood and pear wood are the most used in this wood carving style. We see the shape of the natural knots of the wood very carefully, and then we visualize the wood carving design in our minds. Since the knot of each wood is different from the other wood, this is why these artworks are unique. For optimum use of wood In this Iranian wood carving style, woods with different knots are collected and sorted by their natural forms, and then other designs are added to the natural wood knots, and the Monabat Kari (wood carving) process begins.
