Kneehole-desk of mosaic inlay (sadeli work) of various woods; the left and right panels decorated with peacock motifs. 

Sadeli work has been known in Iran and other parts of the Middle East since as early as the sixteenth century. Contrasting woods are filed into thin rods and glued together to create a larger rod with a geometrically-patterned cross-section. The rod is then cut into numerous thin discs, each with a micro-mosaic design, which can be inlaid into larger objects.