The Lapis Frontispiece — Safavid Illumination Wallpaper

The opening page of a royal manuscript, raised to the scale of a wall. The Lapis Frontispiece is drawn after tazhib, the art of illumination that framed the first pages of Safavid books in sixteenth-century Tabriz, Qazvin and Isfahan, where gold and ground lapis lazuli were the most precious colours a painter could use.

The Aesthetic

The design is built the way an illuminator built a page. A framework of lobed medallions and cusped cartouches interlocks across the wall, each one mirrored left to right. Inside them two layers of ornament run at once: spiralling gold vines (islimi) ending in split palmettes, and beneath them a finer scroll of lotus, peony and rosette blossoms (khatai). Ivory cloud bands drift through the lapis ground and narrow turquoise bands outline every medallion. From across a room it reads as one rich field of blue and gold; up close, every blossom comes forward. It is at its best where a room deserves one decisive gesture — a fireplace wall, a dining room, a hotel reception, or a vaulted or coffered ceiling.

Features

• Design: Interlocking illuminated medallions with gold arabesque scrolls, floral scrolls and cloud bands, after Safavid manuscript illumination (tazhib). A new design in that tradition, not a copy of a historical manuscript.
• Palette: Lapis Blue, Saffron Gold, Turquoise and Ivory, with touches of Vermilion and Rose.
• Finish: Matte print. The gold is a printed colour, not gold leaf or foil.
• Style: Persian Heritage, Manuscript Illumination, Jewel-Toned Pattern.

Sizing and Coverage

• Panel width: 30 in (76 cm) — the same on every length.
• Panel lengths: 96 in (244 cm), 108 in (274 cm), 120 in (305 cm) and 144 in (366 cm). We fit the shortest length that covers your wall, so a lower ceiling costs less.
• Sample: 30 in × 20 in (76 cm × 51 cm) — a full panel width, posted free worldwide.
• Press Customise your wall above and enter your wall size. It chooses the panel length, counts the panels, shows where the seams will fall and previews the design at your wall’s proportions.

Which finish should I choose?

• Peel and Stick — self-adhesive backing. No paste and no water. Repositionable as you hang it and removable later, so it is the usual choice for renters and first-time installers.
• Pre-Pasted — the adhesive is already on the back and is activated with water. Nothing separate to buy or mix.
• Non-Pasted — you apply wallpaper paste to the wall yourself. The traditional method, and the one most decorators prefer for a permanent installation.

Printed to order and dispatched within 5–7 working days. Ships worldwide in protective tube packaging, numbered for installation sequence.

Full installation guide included with every order. Peel-and-stick and traditional paste options available. Width repeats noted on packaging.

Wipe clean with a damp cloth. HP Latex inks are UV-resistant and resist fading. Washable and durable.