Athar · New collection, launched at Dubai Design Week 2026 · Shop
CHAFIC MEKAWI
COLLECTION · 2026

Athar

Athar (آثار) is Arabic for traces: what a hand, a place or a story leaves behind.

A collection of solid brass charms and a cabinet, drawn from the region's landscape and rituals. First shown at Dubai Design Week 2026.

Athar Charms displayed in a shop window
A jeweller in white gloves polishing a Nakhla charm

Like jewellery for furniture.

Athar brings familiar forms of UAE heritage into the home: a palm, a dhow, a coffee pot, cast in brass and finished by hand.

Fix one to a drawer, a door or a cabinet and it becomes the part of the furniture you touch every day. Keep one on a shelf and it holds its story on its own.

THE CHARMS · 13 DESIGNS

Thirteen familiar forms

Shop all 13 charms
Nakhla, the palm, brass charm on red oak
Nakhla · The PalmThe tree that fed, shaded and sheltered generations.
Khayl, the horse, brass charm on red oak
Khayl · The HorsePride of the desert, companion of the poets.
Yahla, the water jar, brass charm on red oak
Yahla · The Water JarClay that kept water cool through the hottest summers.
Reem, the gazelle, brass charm on red oak
Reem · The GazelleIn Arabic poetry, the measure of grace and beauty.
Ghaf, the ghaf leaf, brass charm on red oak
Ghaf · The Ghaf LeafFallen from the tree this land chose as its own, green through the driest summers.
Barjeel, the wind tower, brass charm on red oak
Barjeel · The Wind TowerCaught the passing breeze and sent it down into the home, long before air conditioning.
Ayn, the eye, brass charm on red oak
Ayn · The EyeFor the eye that notices the small details others pass by.
Finjan, the coffee cup, brass charm on red oak
Finjan · The Coffee CupSmall enough to hold in one hand, at the centre of every gathering.
Hudhud, the hoopoe, brass charm on red oak
Hudhud · The HoopoeThe crowned messenger of old stories, a familiar visitor to Emirati gardens.
Sambuk, the dhow, brass charm on red oak
Sambuk · The DhowCarried pearls, dates and stories across the Gulf.
Dallah, the coffee pot, brass charm on red oak
Dallah · The Coffee PotEvery welcome begins with its pour.
Hilal, the crescent, brass charm on red oak
Hilal · The CrescentMarks the start of every month, awaited on the horizon.
Sa'fa, the palm frond, brass charm on red oak
Sa'fa · The Palm FrondWoven into the baskets, mats and walls of the traditional Emirati home.
MATERIAL AND MAKING

Modelled, cast, finished by hand.

Material
Solid brass
Sizes
Medium about 11 cm, small about 8 cm
Origin
Designed in the UAE, modelled with Tsukuri at NYU Abu Dhabi, cast in Lebanon
Finish
Hand-finished; brass develops a soft patina with touch
A Nakhla charm in its box
THE CABINET · 2 VERSIONS

Every door opened by a charm.

Solid red oak, vertical with 15 Athar Charms or horizontal with 10. Proudly made in the UAE and first shown with Isola at Dubai Design Week 2026.

Vertical 104 × 52.5 × 175 cm · Horizontal 170 × 52.5 × 95 cm

The vertical Athar Cabinet
SEE IT IN PERSON

Dubai Design Week, 4 to 8 November

The Cabinet, with IsolaIsola Space, The Lana Promenade, Business Bay
The Charms, with Studio ObliqBooth D3, Downtown Design, Dubai Design District (d3)
The Collectors' List New pieces 48 hours before anyone else.