 |
The art of
marble inlay or “Parchin kari” was introduced
in India in the 17th century by the Mughals. The
Mughals who were known for their great passion for art and
architecture brought with them many different forms of art
during their rule, which was the golden period of India’s
architectural history. |
|
| “Parchin
kari” was a little known art which was made famous by the
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who envisaged the decoration of the
Taj Mahal (today one of the seven wonders of the world) by
this exquisite work, to fulfill the last wishes of his beloved
wife Mumtaz Mahal. |
|
|
The master
craftsmen who specialized in this fine art of setting gems and
semiprecious stones in marble came from Persia (today’s
Iran) to decorate the Taj Mahal. So enormous was the vision of
the Emperor that it took 20,000 highly skilled master
craftsmen 22 years to realize his dream.During
these years most of the master artisans had chosen Agra as
their second home, as Agra was the capital of the most
powerful imperial courts of the east and a great center for
scholars and artisans. Since then this exquisite art has been
an integral part of the cultural heritage of Agra, and has
been kept alive by the descendants of the great artisans who
gave the world the mesmerizing Taj Mahal. |
 |
|
|
Process of setting gem stones
in marble |
 |
The art of marble inlay is a traditional form of art which is
confined to the Muslim community of Agra.
Work begins by careful planning of designs, which is done by
the “Ustad” or the master craftsman |
|
|
After
a design has been chosen, the “Ustad” sets the colour
scheme and tonality of the design. This is followed by careful
selection of raw material (like various semiprecious stones
and marble), which is selected by the experienced master
craftsman. During this process special emphasis is laid on
choosing various shades of semiprecious stones to give the
right gradation and shading to the flowers and other motifs. |
 |
|
 |
The selected stones are then shaped with the help of
especially made emery wheels. Each part of the design is
shaped individually, which requires a lot of patience. At
times a single Magnolia flower may have more than 100 individual pieces and may
require about one week to make. |
|
|
Once
all the stones are shaped, work passes to a different group of
artisans who specialize in inlaying the stone motifs in marble. Here
grooves are cut in the marble with a help of an iron chisel. The
grooves are made exactly of the same size so that the stones can fit
perfectly in them. The stones are set in the grooves by special
glues. This is followed by hand polishing of the marble article,
which is done with the help of a traditional polishing powder which
is applied on the surface with a soft, moist muslin cloth |
 |
|
|
Finally the article is checked carefully for any shortcomings, which
if present are rectified before shipping to the customer. |
