A lesson on the meticulous art of parchinkari
Published:Thursday | December 23, 2021 | 12:06 AM
Following my visit to the Taj Mahal, I travelled to Akbar International in Agra, where I got a detailed demonstration of parchinkari, which is the painstaking art of inlaying precious or semi-precious stones in marble.
Parchinkari began in India in the early 17th century with Shah Jahan, who commissioned the Taj Mahal, being its patron and pioneer.
Generally, the craft is transferred from father to son and son to grandson, who are all descendants of the craftsmen who worked on the Taj Mahal.
Salesman Javed Khan, who is also an 11th descendant, said there are approximately 1,700 artists who work from their homes.
Craftsmen enter the trade as early as 17 years old and exit between 50 and 55 years old.
“After 50 or 55 years old, his fingers are injured and eyes are weak but they don’t retire. They take up the task of making grinding wheels as it is an easy job to do at that age. Sometimes craftsmen want to continue the job, so they become master craftsmen and some of them become teachers,” Khan explained, adding that master craftsmen generate designs.
Secret recipe
Craftsmen work six days a week and a typical workday starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m., with 30 minutes rest between each hour.
Khan displayed a lotus flower made by one of the artists which has 45 pieces of stone, noting that it is a day’s work.
“On Fridays they don’t work. Taj Mahal is also closed every Friday for restoration. They fix the stones with the help of glue. The recipe for the glue is only known by a few master craftsmen and this is a secret recipe like the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken,” the salesman said with a chuckle.
He revealed that over the last 360-odd years, the composition of the glue that is used to hold the stones to the marble has not changed.
In seven steps, Khan explained the fine art of parchinkari, the first one being to get a high grade of marble.
“The white marble used in the Taj Mahal has three unique qualities. It is the hardest and strongest marble in the world. It does not break and it does not chip either. Second, tea, coffee, wine, vinegar, Indian curry, soda or turmeric does not stain the marble, even if it’s left there for a week,” he said, adding that the third quality is that no matter the thickness of the marble, it is totally translucent.
Following the marble selection, it is cut according to the size of the item to be made.
Next in line are the semi-precious stones. Among the stones used are amethyst, black onyx, cornelian, coral, jasper, lapis lazuli, mother of pearl, malachite, paua shell, turquoise and tiger eye.
The stones are then taken and cut into thin slices. These small fragments are shaped by using a hand-operated machine called the hone or grinding wheel.
“The craftsmen hold the stone in the left fingertips and the rolling bow in the right hand and produce the shape as the design requires. They make flower patterns, birds, leaves and stems,” Khan explained.
While the stones are being shaped, the marble is smeared with a temporary orange colour, usually powdered ochre or henna.
Next up, the marble is chiselled to the depth of 3.5 to 4.5 millimetres, to make space for the stones to be set.
Khan explained that the chiselled spots are easily highlighted against the orange background.
The semi-precious stones are then set one piece at a time into the carved-out space, using a special glue.
The henna or ochre is washed off to reveal the dazzling colour of the marble, and lastly, it is polished.
Khan said prices are based on workmanship, that is the number of stones, quality of stones, the time it takes and which craftsman makes it, rather than size.
“This particular piece has 950 stones with a labour of 25 days’ work, and that costs US$300. Now, this one is the same size, two months’ job, 2,200 stones are laid here and it costs US$475,” he explained.
I left Akbar International educated and with a greater appreciation for the architectural work at Taj Mahal, one I can only describe as a labour of love.
Purchases can be made via https://akbarinternational.com/