Pacchikari Craft Documentation

craft documentation

PACCHIKARI agra, uttar pradesh

Pacchikari is a delicate craft of embedding stone embellishments on marble surfaces and to this day, adorns the walls of the Taj Mahal.

Pacchikari Pacchikari is a delicate craft of embedding stone embellishments on marble surfaces and to this day, adorns the walls of the Taj Mahal.

| Artisan with his pacchikari marble plates..

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The completion of this craft documented report involved a lot of hard work, efforts, guidance and support of handicraft industry of Agra.

This report was most possilbe to be curated with the valuable contribution of Prof. Bibhudutta Baral and Divyadarshan C. S. on D’source Digital Library.

I am extrmely grateful to Mr.Rafiquddin and Mr.Narendar Kumar Verma the pacchikari craftsman who are keeping the traditional craft thriving in today's world.

Lastly but not least I would like to thank my mentors and college for provididng necessary inputs for the completion of this craft document report and hope that this report serves as a valuable resource for future work in this area.

Page Orientation |

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Contents

CRAFT report Introduction

Design Element

Material

Making Process 26 THE start 28 THE middle THE end 30

AGRA city CRAFT brief CRAFT history CRAFT origin

4 6 8 10-12

MAKRANA marble 14 TOOLS and machines 16 PRECIOUS stones 18-20

MOTIF study MOTIF inspiration

22 24

| Illustrated Pacchikari design

Market Profile

ARTISANS blog COMMUNITY cluster SHOP product CRAFT alteration CITY legacy

32 34 36 38 40

Bibliography WEBSITE reference 52 Credit THANK you

54

Research Analysis GOVERNMENT schemes SWOT report INSIGHT observation THE conclusion

42 44-46 48 50

2

Introduction

AGRA city The story of Agra begins much before the inimitable Taj Mahal. The city finds it mention in the epic Mahabharata as Agravana which translates as "front of the forest".

| Agra city map with fort location.

However, the tradition and legend ascribe the city as the kingdom of Raja Badal Singh whose Fort Badalgarhs tood on the near site of the city and was captured by then Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni.

It was Mughals who finally nurtured Agra with the finest monuments architects could design, each of which stands in silent testimony to the city's grandeur over the history.

Though the heritage of Agra city is associated with the Mughal dynasty.

Modern Agra was founded by Sikandar Lodhi in the 16th century.

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Introduction

CRAFT brief The rich architectural heritage of Agra is enriched by two craft traditions, those of stone carving and inlay.

Stone carving has ancient origins, and in fact is found in various centers of north India.

On the other hand, Inlay work with semi precious stone in marble, was introduced by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century, and is unique to Agra.

| Artisan with his pacchikari marble plates..

Locally known as Pacchikari, the stone craft of Agra is inlay work, popularly recognized as the craft of the Taj Mahal.

This craft is usually done on white marble. The artisans make compositions of tiny hand cut pieces of semi-precious stone which are then inlaid on a marble surface.

Historically, both the crafts had architectural applications.

They can be seen in the architectural legacy of the city on a grand scale.

Their best known examples of their work is seen even today in the pietra dura of the Taj Mahal, which remains a source of inspiration for the craft.

Their current avatars have taken on a modified form, employed on a much smaller products.

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Introduction

CRAFT origin The city of Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, is a feast for lovers of historical architecture and home to skilled stone craftsmen.

The stone inlay craft is believed to have been introduced here in the 17th century by Persian artisans brought by the Mughal emperor.

But the craft is originated from as opus sectile. Opus sectile is an art technique popularized in the ancient and medieval Roman world where materials were cut and inlaid into walls and floors to make a picture or pattern.

| Opus sectile ancient painting

As the roots of the craft developed in Florence it came to be known as opere di commessi. And later in 1588, Medici Grand Duke Ferdinando I of Tuscany founded Opificio delle pietre dure (workshop of semi precious stones) for the purpose of developing decorative forms.

By the early part of the 17th century, smaller pietra dura work produced by the Opificio were widely travelled throughout Europe and as far East to the court of the Mughals in India.

In Mughal India, pietra dura came to be known as Parchin kari or pacchikari which means 'inlay' or 'driven-in' work where the form was imitated and reinterpreted in a native style.

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Introduction

CRAFT history Pietra dura is an Italian phrase for hard stone. It is occasionally known as Florentine mosaic. It was indeed the Florentines who first thought of the art form not as form of decoration, but as a form of painting in stone.

As the art developed across the 16th Century in Florence, it was known as opera di commessi (fitted together works), where the modern Italian name commesso comes from.

| Pillar at Agra Fort in pacchikari marble inlay

These early pietra dura pieces were expensive: stones like jasper, porphyry, quartz and agate had to be mined and shipped from remote corners of the world before being assembled in a commesso panel.

It was because of this exoticism and luxuriousness combined with the technical expertise needed to complete such work that pietra dura soon became highly desirable among Europe's most important collectors.

Perhaps the greatest achievement of the Florentine workshop was the decorations in the room known as the Tribuna where the Medici family traditionally housed their most important collections of paintings and antiquities including works

by Michelangelo and da Vinci.

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Introduction

CRAFT history From the 16th Century onwards knowledge of the technique also spread out from Florence, and reached places as far away as the Indian subcontinent.

This was the period associated with the flourishing of art and architecture of the Mughal Empire.

| Humayun’s Tomb at Agra, Delhi

The ruling Mughals admired the newly-discovered technique and commissioned elaborate works in the pieces resulting style of pietra dura known as parchinkari was distinctively non-European in its imagery and use.

Indian parchinkari work was mostly used in architectural monuments rather than decorative settings. One early examples is the famous Tomb of the Emperor Humayun and iconic Taj Mahal.

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Material

MAKRANA marble White marble from Makrana, Rajasthan or Cerama Marble from Italy is the most preferred form of surface for inlay work. If for any reason, marble is not the chosen one, black kadappa stone or green marble is taken up.

The process begins at Rock Mines of White Marble. Marble slabs are extracted and then cut with the help of diamond wires which slice a marble block into more manageable slab and then uniforally polished.

| Makrana marble mining site

They are worked on further to approximate the size and form of the desired end product.

If the end product requires a round shape or needs to be hollowed out, this is achieved using an electric lathe.

These various processes take place in small factories and workshops.

From here the stone pieces are sent for job work to units where artisans specialize in carving. Cut and shaped pieces of stone ready to be sent for carving.

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Material

TOOLS and machines The basic principle of pacchikari is to arrange cut stones into a pattern in such a way that the joins between them are invisible and the resultant pattern appears two dimensional.

The major steps involved are designing and tracing of patterns and then cutting of coloured stones into varying shapes according to the design, of roughly the same thickness. The craft is achieved to the precision by using following tools

Saan and Kamaani

Tankiya and Narzi

Hand driven tool used to shape the gem stones in delicate floral motifs with the emery wheel.

Chiseling tools used to engrave and inlay on the surface of marbles.

Abrasive

Hand Held Chisels

Stone used to grind the surface of marble.

These are used to engrave, groove the marbles.

Buffer Machine

Glue

It used for polishing the surface of the marble after inlay.

To inlay the gem stones in the precise grooves of pattern.

File

Saw

To fine cut the amount of material from work piece.

To cut marble as per the required length and width.

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Material

PRECIOUS stones When Emperor Shah Jahan gave the order to build the Taj Mahal, the latter wanted the most beautiful possible designs.

For the incrustations of stone he wanted only precious and semiprecious stones, and that's how the building was made.

The term pacchikari signifies the requisite hardness and durability of the materials used in this work, officially describing those stones that fall between the 6th and 10th degrees of the Mohs scale of hardness - that is, between feldspar and diamond. | The Mohs scale of mineral hardness is a qualitative ordinal scale characterizing scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of harder material to scratch softer material.

Amethyst|Mohs scale 7 A type of quartz - crystalline mineral composed of silicon is mined in some of the african countries.

The presence of manganese turns the stone in purple lavender colour.

Coral|Mohs scale 4 An organic stone, a composition of calcium and magnesium carbonate is found beside rocky seabeds in many colours like red, pink, scarlet, saffron and white.

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Material

Jade|Mohs scale 6

Onyx|Mohs scale 7

A composition of nephrite and jadeite is a ornamental mineral known for its green hue.

Formed by the bands of chalcedony in alternating colors is a cryptocrystalline of the silica minerals quartz and moganite.

Agate|Mohs scale 7 Is a formation of chalcedony and quartz consisting of a variety of colours formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks.

Cornelian|Mohs scale 7

Turquoise|Mohs scale 6

Cornelian is a cryptocrystalline form of silica (a mineral of the quartz family), coloured brownish red mineral by impurities of iron oxide.

A gemstone chemically composed of basic hydrous copper aluminum phosphate. It gets its blue colour from copper and green from iron.

Tiger's eye|Mohs scale 7 A member of the quartz groupmade of silicon dioxide is an optical reflectance (chatoyant) metamorphic rock with a golden to red brown colour and a silky lustre.

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Design Element

MOTIF study The pacchikari is a technique of lapidary marquetry for decoration. It is neither more nor less than a puzzle of great precision. The motifs used in the craft dates back to the arabesque floral designs of Islamic art.

The Art of Arabesque is a Biomorphic art that underpins one of the three distinct disciplines of Islamic art (the other two being Calligraphy and Geometry).

| Jwellery box with pacchikari work.

Islimi designs are biomorphic, floral patterns and vegetative style representing the underlying order and unity of nature. The designs tessellate across the surface with an even rhythm and texture, The motifs are beautiful in its simplicity and perfect in its archetypal proportions.

Rumi Motifs Positioned at the heart of the Rumi motif is the ‘Pivotal ball’. Regardless of the shape the motif might take, it will always revolve around this ball. If a second motif is attached to the first it will also grow from this ball. The motif can be drawn geometrically which shows similarity.

Tepelik Motifs Tepelik means points or hilltops, it is the other major motif in the Rumi style.

It is used both as a symmetrical freestanding motif and in half form attached the spiral.

Kapali Composition Kapali means ‘closed’. Kapali forms are linear structural lines, which are usually based on an underlining geometric grid ensuring they reflect or tessellate correctly.

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Design Element

MOTIF inspiration The orchid is present in different forms on the mausoleum of the Taj Mahal as well as on the mosque.

Here it is the angelic form. This representation is in pietra dura alternating with the river anemone.

The orchid has petals mounted on a tulip body while the anemone has 5 petals. The anemone also has several roots.

| Illustrated Islimi motif of tulips

The river anemone is represented in pietra dura on the decorations of the main hall of the mausoleum, alternating with the orchid. It is recognizable thanks to its multiple roots and its 5 petals, stylized.

This plant is also found in the mausoleum in the form of a high relief.

This "Flame-of-the-forest" is aptly named, it seems to blaze in the Sun. It is a local plant represented a lot of times as a motif of repetition on the decorative friezes of the mausoleum. It is an orange flower whose characteristic is to have fine petals at their bases and very flared thereafter.

The campanula is a very pretty bell-shaped flower, like lily of the valley, but bigger. Moreover, the anglophones call it "Bellflower", the "flower-bell". It is represented in pietra dura on the mausoleum.

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Making Process

THE start The day long exercise of crafting stones on marble has to be carried out with extreme focus. The craft is divided into small processes seamlessly coming together to produce masterpieces. The most essential elements of Pacchikari craft are the coloured stones.

The day begins with a hundred abstract pieces of semi- precious gem stones which the craftsman will twist and turn, melt and shine each of these piecesto fit into his design. Alongside the coloured stones lie the pristine white marbles - the foundation for the inlay art already in shape of the end product.

| Craftsman selecting and arranging stones to being the work

The stones are first shaped into motifs and patterns to be laid on the marble. This process is knowns as Honing. With incredible precision the stones take a new shape. The next task is to chisel the marble foundation to make nests for the honed stones.

To start this task the artisan at first highlight the marble suraface with henna (mehendi) and then the plan of design is traced and mapped onto the surafce with charcoal. This demarcation makes the process easier for the artist.

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Making Process

THE middle The skill of Pacchikari artist lies in his stability. With a delicate yet decisive grip on his tools, the artist chisels the shapes but also maintain the overall symmetry in design. Each outline on the craft has to be made with impeccable precision.

Meanwhile, the honed stones cut into minute threadlike forms are held over a candle flame. The flame brings out different colour gradations in each stone thread. Core colours turn various shades and add vibrancy to final pattern.

| Craftsman applying the glue on the engraved marble

Eventually a mock pattern is formed with the stones ready to lay the foundation for the motifs.

With the marble and motifs ready, marble dust and honey, sugar cane and lemon juices are mashed into a powdered glue to form an adhesive along with gesso.

Which is then uniformly applied over the engraved areas on the marble.

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Making Process

THE end Finally, the artist places the stones on the traced sketch on the marble. Slowly a beautiful pattern laced with threads of different coloured stones comes to life.

A few finishing touches if any tiny gaps in the inlay are filled in with white cement so that it can match the white base of marble.

| Craftsman filling the engraved area with delicately designed motifs with precious stones

A grind stone shard is used to smoothen the surface after the inlays have been inserted. The henna paint is also removed during this smoothening process.

The cautiously carved motifs then burst into life with different colours and another Pacchikari masterpiece is ready to be etched in history.

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Market Profile

ARTISANS Blog Agra has carefully preserved the best stone inlay tradition in the whole of South Asia. These artisans come from an unbroken line of descended from the very master craftsmen who were brought in to do the intricate stone inlay on the Taj Mahal.

Born in a family of artisans specialising in Zardozi, Rafiquddin was more inclined towards marble inlay work.

A resident of Gokulpura Basti in Agra district was presented the prestigious Shilp Guru award by President Pranab Mukherjee for his 25 years of exquisite work.

| Artisan polishing the marble and stone.

Work is worship. There is hardly any place where this adage is truer than a Pacchikari artist’s workplace.

The inaly process has not changed in 387 years.

Most of the inlay craftsman comes from a remote and backward areas of Agra district. Their biggest challenge is to muplity manpower, talent, and desire required to preserve the craft.

It is a difficult yet cherished route that a Pacchikari artist undertakes. Brought alive with extreme care and creativity, a stunned look of awe is the usual compliment they receive.

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Market Profile

COMMUNITY cluster In the Mughal period, the art was acquired my Muslim communities.

In todays scenario the descendants of the tribe provide knowledge of this craft to those who do not recognise it.

These artisans mostly work from their own home. It is a gender specific work which involves heavy electronic machinery and precision. The atisans work together as a cooperative, each of them with a complete creative freedom make alteration in crafts design unique in its own way but all earning are divided up evenly.

| Craftsman working from home in leisure

Most of these artisans are doing this craft for a new earning source as one of the economic base of agra is its handicraft products.

Places like Tajganj, Nai ki Mandi and Gokulpura are home to these artisans where they work from their home and run a small industry simultaneously.

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Market Profile

SHOP product There is a lot of competition between the local craftsmen and the showroom owner in Agra. The market module where craftsman work is valued less and sold at a higher price demonstrates the exploitation of the artisans.

Although tourism contributes to a large extent in the economy of Agra, the city has a substantial industrial infrastructure. A lot of manufacturing plants and industrial related wholesale markets are prominent in Agra.

| Shop in Agra with pacchikari craft articles

Agra Indutries are doing a fine job in various fields.

Producers and dealers of Agra deal in different merchandise and save a vast market to support them.

The leather industry is among the most traditional and original industries of the city along with stone and marble handicrafts sector. City’s small scale industries, commerce and business deal arethe primary economic base.

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Market Profile

CRAFT alteration History has constantly been a source of inspiration for contemporary artists and designers. One such source is the Mughal monuments of Agra. The designs and motifs identified on the historical buildings provide a means of invaluable research.

The innovative and ground breaking approaches of designers have devised complex narrations by nurturing unexpected relationships between the historic and the contemporary; and between seemingly divergent individual and style.

| Saree and other ornaments inspired by pacchikari motifs.

The modern trends in textiles are witnessing transformations in approaches towards designing.

The change in paradigms calls for extended language of materials, inspirations, techniques and processes.

Seeking towards more inventive choices and fruitful responses, textile and fashion designers explore a huge platform in the form of Agra’s Mughal monuments in designing their products.

History and traditions are often applied to textile design in two ways, it is commonly believed that some countries and regions of the world have quite particularly received philosophies about textile design.

These philosophies are often an extension of local historical craft attitudes, aesthetics and methods. When they are applied in the sphere of contemporary design, it can result in distinctive approaches to the use of technology, materials or imagery.

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Market Profile

CITY Legacy The city of Agra in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh is home to skilled stone craftsmen. There are some who are experts in carving and fret work, crafts which are believed to have ancient origins.

Then there are the inlay artisans, who make fine designs of semi-precious stone inlaid in marble. But the city embraces other crafts equally.

| Marble inlay at Taj Mahal entrance.

Stone Carving The carving work is done by skilled artisans with very basic tools used to carve fine designs. The artisans have also mastered the art of carving out forms within forms – a technique locally known as ‘undercut’ Zardozi Zardozi work is a metal thread embroidery that is a speciality of the city of Agra. This beautiful embroidery involves making elaborate designs with gold and silver threads. Precious stones and pearls add to its beauty Chikankari It is one of the finest embroidery patterns in the world. The state capital Lucknow is famous for Chikankari that is done on fabrics like chiffon, organza, doruya, organdie, muslin, and silk.

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Market Profile

GOVERNMENT schemes Handicrafts are an important part of the unorganised sector in India's economy.

These usually require manual skill, are made with simple tools, and represent Indian tradition in some way or form. They have sustained lakhs of artisans through the years in India.

However, the on-ground reality paints a different picture: artisans face challenges such as inaccessibility of funds, low penetration of technology, absence of market intelligence, and poor institutional framework of artisan groups. A large number of artisans have moved, over the years, to urban centres seeking low-paying and unskilled employment.

To address these challenges and to develop and promote the sector, the government's National Handicraft Development Programme is being implemented by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts).

Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojna Under a subsection of this scheme named Dastkar Shashktikaran Yojna, the programme enables community empowerment for mobilisation of artisans into self-help groups and societies. Post this, the implementing agency will prepare a diagnostic study report (DSR) for proposing further interventions in the cluster.

The implementing agency will be responsible for overall project management and implementation of various interventions with a view to facilitate bulk production and sourcing of goods. Towards this end, apart from other things, implementing agency will appoint a cluster manager.

Mega Cluster Mission The mega clusters will be taken up for development through the Handicrafts Mega Cluster Mission (HMCM) or through Central/State corporations as and when announced in the Union Budget, or as per requirements, and as per the diagnostic report prepared. The objectives include generating employment and improving living standards for existing artisans.

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Research Analysis

SWOT report Strength Availability of unique local raw materials.

Indian Handicrafts Industry has a diversified and potential market in domestic and international platform. Products are high value added, and handicrafts have various applications. Labor rates are cheap and it results to competitive price.

| Street and houses of Agra colony

Weakness Industry is lacking with infrastructure and communication facilities. There is lack of skilled labor in industry and promotion of products. Insufficient market information on export trends, opportunities and prices.

Degradation in the quality of design and finishing at production level. Completion of orders not on time due to lack of raw material and due to out sourcing of raw material.

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Research Analysis

SWOT report Opportunity Rising demand and usage of handicrafts products in fashion industry. Developing of domestic and international tourism sector. Rising appreciation by consumers in the developed countries.

Government support and interest in preserving the craft. Requirement of new design interventions in the field of tools and machines. Exposure visits and vocational training have a great scope. Great opportunity to employ more women in this sector for finishing of final products

| Street and houses of Agra colony

Threat Lack of quality standardization process. Competition in domestic market. It is challenge to have balance between high demand and supply of products.

Absence of institutional support. Lack of branding and packaging , which doesnt give them recognition in other markets. Youths lack knowledge of this craft and artisans are rarely in touch with exporters.

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Research Analysis

INSIGHT Observation The community has a major drawback in selling of the craft and skills.

As most of them do not own a shop they work under big vendors who do not provide sufficient money for livelihood. And those who are able to open a small industry the products sale are valued less which do not cover the material costs.

The industry lack safety regulations as the craft requires minute precision the craftsmen cannot work in this industry more than 30 to 40 years due health issues such as body shakes and weak eyesight.

| Craftsman giving finishing touch to the article.

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Research Analysis

THE conclusion To provide better livelihood to the craftsman, we have to appriciate the craftsmanship. Financial and eductional aid would preserve the craft and help in passing it to next generation.

And yet, for centuries this art has thrived. Tiny coloured stones moulding into breath-taking patterns on marbles.

| In process pacchikari article

The beauty is not just in creation but also in the skills with which many precise replicates are made.

Art and a splash of colors has become a way of life for this community. Everywhere you look these are focused eyes staring at you amidst a burst of vibrant colors.

There might be many who love their art but the Pacchikari artists know how to live it.

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Bibliography

WEBSITE reference https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietra_dura https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/-QIiBzMmLJ-aKQ https://craftytalks.craftsventure.com/taj-mahal-parchin-kari/ https://www.heritagemarblecrafts.com https://issuu.com/chromadesign/docs/simon_ray_2012/172 https://yourstory.com/smbstory/indian-handicrafts-artisans-schemes

| Pacchikari articles website

Akbar International has been the preserver of the art of Parchinkari since 1979. What started more than 30 years ago as a single showroom with a handful of pieces, has now turned into 2 branches with a total of 10 showrooms.

They have thousands of articles and a few hundred masterpieces for the connoisseurs of art.

Hundreds of families of artisans who depend on Parchinkari for their livelihood have been linked to them for years and they take pride in supporting them and in keeping this art alive.

Interview and market research referece https://akbarinternational.com/ 52

Credit

THANK you Artisans Narendar Kumar Verma Mohammad Rais Anwar Khan Photographs Sunil Kumar Sunil Gabhale Website Heritage marble craft Akbar international

| Craftsman moulding stones with candle flame

Data Curation Shalmali Kulkarni Couse In-charge Nitin Gawai Mayuri Dabhi 54