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Antique Anglo-Indian Boxes
Collectible Culture from the British Raj'
HOSHIARPUR The district of Hoshiarpur, close to the border with Pakistan, produces dark Sheesham furniture with detailed dense foliage patterns that are both engraved and inlaid. Today the inlay is mostly acrylic but in the 19th century they used Ivory. The motifs are either of Persian origin or adaptations of the exquisite woodcarvings in the havelis, mansions, of Hoshiarpur. When the craft came to this region, the woodworkers inlaid with Ivory remnant bought from the ivory carvers of Amritsar. No Ivory is used anywhere in India following the international ban on Ivory in 1989. The most distinctive craft used as a docorative element in Hoshiarpur woodcraft is tarkashi. The origins of the art of Tarkashi is unclear but historians agree it has its roots in northern India where it is still practiced. It is the art of inlaying brass and copper wires into wood. It is always done on hardwoods. The wire is hammered into a pattern engraved on dark Sheesham wood. The wires sit flush within the surface. Engraving is done with small chisels. The surface is finished by buffing but care is taken so that the surface does not heat up and dislodged the wires.
Hammering the wires into the wood. Notice the use of the foot for stabilising the work piece.
