Shortly before the Taj Majal rose on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, another tomb further upstream marked a transition in Mughal architecture from red sandstone to white marble. The Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah (Treasurer of the Mughal Empire) is nicknamed “The jewel box in marble,” because of its elaborate decorations of ‘pietra dura’ art, subsequently replicated on the Taj Mahal by local marble artists. If you love the decorations of this icon, you will be pleased to know that the same techniques used in the 1500s are alive and well on the streets of Agra today.

The Pietra Dura technique (it means ‘hard rock’ in Italian) was first used in Rome and Florence before being adopted and taken to new heights in Agra. In this process, precious and semi-precious stones were polished and cut into shapes and then embedded onto a surface of marble. When done properly, the result is a smooth seamless marble slab.

To understand the process, we visit the Akbar International workshop in Agra that has been producing inlaid marble art for over 30 years. A nondescript, one-story building on a busy thoroughfare does not prepare you for what is inside –tables, cups, boxes, coasters, lamps, screens, bookends, shimmering under the lights.  The process used to produce these items is the same one used by artisans to decorate the Taj Mahal and the tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah. They are available for purchase, and you can take a piece home with you.

A number of marble artists, each specialized in one facet of the work, sit on the floor. One slathers red ochre ferric oxide paste onto the surface. Then, using an enormous compass, he draws concentric circles into the paste to serve as a guide for the design of the motif.  Meanwhile, the precious and semi-precious stones — agate, amethyst, carnelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, malachite, mother-of-pearl, tiger’s eye, turquoise, jasper, and onyx, to name are few — are prepared.  The artisan uses a wire cutter with between one and eight steel wires, to slice off pieces of the stone. Water and a special wash pour over the stone to keep the wires cutting smoothly. Using a hand-powered emery wheel, the artisan grinds the stone to the desired shape Holding it with the tips of his left hand, he presses it against the wheel whilst holding a box in his right hand, pushing it back and forth rhythmically to turn the disc.

Once the pieces of stone are ready they are placed on the painted surface of the marble to create a motif.  A pointed metal instrument known as a scriber,  outlines the shapes etching flowers, birds, geometric designs. The stones are set aside and the artisan chisels away the marble to create a cavity to house the pieces. It is a time-consuming process, given the hardness of the marble.  The stones are inserted into the design cavity where a secret, special blend of cement is waiting for them. The designs are intricate and elaborate. In some as many as 32 slivers of stone fill 0.09 inches of space. Sandpaper polishes the marble once the stones have set to remove the red paste and create a seamless, smooth finish. In the last phase of polishing, the artisan uses zinc oxide to rub the surface to a high gloss.

As you walk through Akbar International your eyes dart left and right, from vast marble dining tables costing thousands of dollars to tiny marble elephants with tiny chips of blue lapis lazuli costing a few dollars. The choices are endless. Take a piece home with you to remind yourself of the beauty of the Taj Mahal.

IF YOU GO
One of the best places to see the creation of these works of art and to purchase one to bring home is Akbar International in Agra (289 Fatehab Road, Agra; Tel 0091-562-233-0076. You can either request that your purchase be packed to take with you or else Akbar will ship your piece for you.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2014 Diana Russler