Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has revealed a new one-off and landmark Phantom Arabesque commissioned through its Dubai private office, and celebrating the forms and geometry of traditional mashrabiya latticework — a defining feature of traditional houses, palaces and courtyards throughout the Middle East.
The mashrabiya pattern is reinterpreted as the laser-engraved bonnet, the first-ever created for a Rolls-Royce, and as an intricate Blackwood and Bolivar marquetry Gallery artwork, and as a suite of bespoke motifs subtly placed throughout the motor car.
In an architectural setting, mashrabiya is built using carved wooden screens that create privacy, allowing those inside to look out without being seen, with the latticework encouraging airflow for the cooling of a building’s interior and perfectly attuned to the region’s climate.
The newly patented laser engraving groundwork is a story on its own, the result of a five-year development programme led by the marque’s Exterior Surface Centre. It draws inspiration from the Italian sgraffito technique – the artistic practice of revealing contrasting layers of colour by precisely removing upper surfaces.
To achieve the effect, the bonnet is first painted in a darker colour, then sealed beneath multiple layers of clear coat before a lighter top layer is applied. The geometric mashrabiya pattern is then engraved to a depth of just 145–190 microns into the uppermost surface, revealing the darker tone beneath.
The result is a richly textured, three-dimensional surface that catches the light and invites exploration: a pattern intended to be discovered by both the eye and the hand. Each of the engraved areas is meticulously hand-sanded to ensure an even, sculptural finish. By integrating the pattern within the paint itself rather than applying it on top, this method achieves an exceptional level of refinement and durability, while variations in laser velocity and intensity create subtle visual shifts as light moves across the surface.
“Laser engraving allows us to create a surface that is both technically precise and visually alive. Developing this patented process required years of experimentation by the entire team. Phantom Arabesque is the first expression of a technique that opens entirely new creative possibilities for future clients, said Tobias Sicheneder, GM, Exterior Surface Centre.
The Phantom Arabesque is presented in a two-tone finish, with the main body in Diamond Black and the upper surfaces in contrasting Silver with a similar presentation for the single hand-painted Short Coachline, which is elevated with a mashrabiya motif. An illuminated Pantheon grille set within a Dark chrome surround, an uplit Spirit of Ecstasy figurine and 22-inch part-polished alloy wheels add to the visual appeal.
The centre piece in the interior is subtly elevated and full-width front fascia of marquetry artwork crafted from Blackwood and Black Bolivar wood that echoes the mashrabiya design, with an offset clock presented in a dark colourway. The interior suite is finished in serene Selby Grey and Black leathers, seat piping and carpets, elevated by contrasting black mashrabiya motifs embroidered on the front and rear headrests.
Starlight doors are trimmed with Selby grey piping and Black contrast stitching while illuminated treadplates bearing a cross-section of the bonnet engraving motif complete welcome passengers.
“Mashrabiya is one of the Middle East’s best-known and most enduring design languages. For Phantom Arabesque, we were inspired not only by its beauty but also by the privacy, light and airflow it creates. Our aim was to interpret these qualities in ways that feel both culturally rooted and unmistakably Rolls-Royce,” said Michelle Lusby, lead designer, Private Office Dubai.
Business Day
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