TARKASHI

The technique of inlaying fine flattened wire of brass, copper or silver in wood is called Tarkashi. The patterns inlayed are usually geometric forms or florals with inspirations from Mughal arts. Metal inlay is a painstaking and highly skilled craft. The artisan transfers a design from a piece of paper onto a block of wood. He then carves deep, thin grooves along the trace. The engravings are inlaid with brass, copper & silver. Small coiled dot-like forms called bhiriyan, an element unique to tarkashi, are beaten directly into wood. The object is then planed, sanded with a water based emery paper and machine buffed to give it a smooth polish.