Est. — Atelier Notes
Xene Gallery: a Persian metalwork atelier.
Xene Gallery is a Persian family atelier founded in 1910 and now run by the 4th generation of the founding family. From our London workshop we handcraft fine art metal sculptures and bespoke commissions in 24K gold, sterling silver, copper and steel.
Every piece is entirely handmade — hand-engraved, hand-chased and hand-finished in the atelier. No casting, no mass production. Our work draws on the visual grammar of Persepolis, Isfahan and the wider Persianate world, executed through traditional techniques: Noghre-koobi (silver inlay), Tala-koobi (gold inlay), Qalamzani (chasing & engraving) and Mina-kari (vitreous enamel).
We accept bespoke commissions worldwide for private collectors, corporate gifts, and royal and diplomatic presentations, and we restore antique Persian metalwork. Signature work includes The Lion of Persepolis in steel, copper and gold.
A tradition expressed through the hand.
Persian metalwork is not a single surface style. It brings together the making of a form and the working of its decoration: shaping sheet metal, chasing a relief, cutting a line and setting another material into the surface. These stages ask different things of the maker, from the balance of a sculpture to the controlled rhythm of an engraved border.
Qalamzani describes work carried out with metalworking tools, including chasing and engraving. Noghre-koobi and tala-koobi introduce silver and gold inlay; mina-kari brings vitreous enamel into the composition. Understanding those distinctions helps a collector look beyond a finished object's colour and recognise how it was made.
Our relationship with Persian heritage is a living one. Architectural ornament, animal forms and historic visual traditions provide a vocabulary for new work, not a claim that a contemporary piece is ancient. The Lion of Persepolis belongs to that conversation between inherited imagery and present-day making.
Looking closely at a handmade work.
Begin with the silhouette, proportion and intended setting, then move to the detail. Look at how an engraved pattern follows a curved surface, how inlay meets its ground and how a finish changes under light. Handmade quality is not simply irregularity: it is the control of material in service of the whole work.
For a new commission, subject, scale and material are useful starting points. For an antique, condition and documented history come first. The questions are different, which is why we keep bespoke making and restoration as separate conversations.
- Explore bespoke commissions — materials, techniques and the design process.
- Read about restoration — condition, conservation and preparing an inquiry.
- Study the craft guides — definitions, methods and questions for collectors.