Pacchikari: Stone Inlay from Agra
Pacchikari or the inlay of semi-precious stones — agate, turquoise, cornelian, jasper, bloodstone, mother-of-pearl, malachite and lapis lazuli — in marble is unique to Agra. The inlay is so fine that the inlaid patterns seem to have grown out of the marble. It is hardly possible to detect the incisions. The inspiration for the craft is the beautiful pietra dura work done in the Taj Mahal and the tomb of Itmud-ud-Daulah.
Pacchikari or the inlay of semi-precious stones — agate, turquoise, cornelian, jasper, blood stone, mother-of-pearl, malachite and lapis lazuli — in marble is unique to Agra. The inlay is so fine that the inlaid patterns seem to have grown out of the marble. It is hardly possible to detect the incisions. The inspiration for the craft is the beautiful pietra dura work done in the Taj Mahal and the tomb of Itmud-ud-Daulah. The art was brought to India in the 17th century from Persia when Shah Jahan chose to build the Taj Mahal. The craftsmen, who are predominantly Muslim, are said to be descendants of those same craftsmen. Stone slivers are carefully shaped into minute petals, leaves, and stems on a manually operated emery wheel.
Often, a single flower is composed of as many as 40 pieces that may take a whole week to painstakingly shape and inlay. The craftsman matches the shapes to a brass template. The designs are all floral, some extremely delicate. The marble surface is shallow carved, enough to embed the stones. The chisels are worked without a hammer or mallet.
The carving has to be extremely crisp, so prior to chiseling, the surface is coated with red earth that makes the engraved lines of the pattern stand out, making it easier for the craftsmen to carve and inlay. The depressions are filled in with white cement that melts on heating. The marble surface is heated and the stones laid flush in it. Any tiny gaps in the inlay are filled in with white cement. The surface is buffed and polished. Inlay is also done on alabaster, gorara stone and black marble. There are specialized craftsmen for different steps of inlay. The master craftsman designs and inlays. Other craftsmen cut the stone, glue and finish the pieces.
The inspiration for the craft is the beautiful pietra dura work done in the Taj Mahal and the tomb of Itmud-ud-Daulah. The art was brought to India in the 17th century from Persia when Shah Jahan chose to build the Taj Mahal. The craftsmen who are predominantly Muslim, are said to be descendants of those same craftsmen.
Due to the Taj Mahal being one of the major tourist attractions, there is a flourishing industry of Pietra Dura artifacts in Agra ranging from tabletops, medallions, elephants and other animal forms, jewellery boxes and other decorative items. This art form is fully alive and thriving in Agra, India though the patterns in the designs are more Persian than Roman or Medician.
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