The Art of Marble Inlay #HandmadeInIndia

The Art of Marble Inlay #HandmadeInIndia

Inlay art is a remarkable feature of Mughal architecture in India and Inlay art was an instrument of dynamic expression in the great age of the Mughal Empire. The Monuments of Agra(India) provide the different stages of the development of Mughal Inlay art in a progressive sequence during sixteenth to seventeenth century as practiced under Akbar (r. 1556-1605), Jahangir (r. 1605-1627), and Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1658). This research paper will present probable aspects related to the origin and development of Mughal Inlay art. Marble inlay-‘Pachchikari’ or ‘Parchinkari’ is one of the most beautiful and popular forms of Mughal art developed indigenously in India.

 It is to be believed that it is typically Italian in origin and some contend it to be of the Indian origin itself. Inlay technically known as Pietra dura (Italian for "hard stone") is marble inlaid with designs in precious or semi-precious stonework

The Italian Connection

Inlay work on delicate precious stone began in the workshops of Florence in Italy around the end of the 16th century. This was known as PIETRA DURA, which means hard (dura) stone (pietra).

The Italians created an art form that the world came to appreciate and pietra dura appeared on a range of objects from decorative panels to hand-carved bird to flower motifs to cabinet fronts to table tops to presents from travelers to Emperors in the resplendent Mughal courts in faraway India.

Marble inlay

Marble inlay is a closely protected traditional art and only a few experts are skilled enough to do justice to it in this day and age. The delicate process involves carefully cutting and engraving marble shapes by hand. To begin with, a predefined pattern, like say, a floral or geometrical design is engraved on the marble slab. After this, small pieces of marble of different shades are cut delicately to precisely fit and slipped into these grooves. Apart from marble, many other materials can also be used to adorn the marble inlay spaces.

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