We have a number of items used in tezhib, the Islamic art of gilding and illumination. We are expanding this section of our site’s offerings so check back often for new tools and natural materials.
A set of 6 kominksy sable brushes made especially for tezhib.
Includes 6 sizes: 0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, and 10/0.
Unique tool for applying perfectly even, unwavering fine lines. Perfect for applying the white line around the finished piece, as well as colored borders around a composition. This fine line painting tool also works great for tezhib and illumination of calligraphy.
Fine line painting tool laying the traditional white line around a finished and bordered calligraphy piece.
Agate burnisher for gold- used for bringing out the shine after gold leaf has been painted on.
Agate burnisher for gold- Broad head used for larger areas of gold.
Our hand-crafted paper burnisher is the only one of its kind available in America. The 2" polished agate stone is set in ash. It is the primary tool for making paper ready for calligraphy. Without proper burnishing, ahar paper can never properly receive the pen.
Other commercially available agate burnishers are both too thin to be effective, and set on a stick which restrict the amount of pressure that can be achieved, and is ultimately ineffective. For that reason we designed this two-handed setup for maximum downward pressure based on the design of Mohamed Zakariya Hoca's paper burnisher, a design tried and true for ahar preparation.
We hand make these burnishers from scratch, grinding the polishing stone from raw materials. The stones are set in the ash handle with epoxy. They are then individually tested on paper to make sure they are in perfect condition and ready to go.
Leather Embossing Stamps
These traditional patterned embossing stamps are used for pressing designs into leather bindings. The stamps are heated, the leather is soaked in water, and the hot stamp is pressed into the wet leather, which creates a permanent embossing in the leather.
