Handmade in India

TARKASHI - METAL INLAY IN WOOD
Production Clusters
Bijnor district:
Nagina
Saharanpur district:
Saharanpur
Ghaziabad district:
Pilakhuwa
Mainpuri district:
Mainpuri
Products
Traditional:
Khadaun-wooden
slippers
Book holders
Screens
Contemporary:
Bottle racks
Trolleys
Television cabinets
Coasters
Tools
Cheni-chisel
Pulki-chisel
Tahaki-chisel
Chaurasi-chisel
Punches
Wooden Mallets
Hammer
TARKASHI IS THE ART of inlaying brass and copper wires in wood.Tarkashi
is always done on hardwoods.The wire are hammered into a pattern engraved on
dark sheesham wood.The wired sit flush within the surface.Evgraving is done
with small chisels.Some of the motifs are machine cut.The surface is finished by
buffing but care is taken so that the surface does not heat up and dislodge the
wires.
In Saharanpur and Nagina the designs are
mostly floral not very intricate.In
Mainpuri,where the craft originated ,the
tarkashi is very fine.Intricate floral and
geometric jaals are characteristically
interspersed with tiny
bhiriyans,dots.Bhiriyans are directly
hammered into the wood.Initially both
engraving and inlay was done by the same
craftsman but now both are specialized
skills in the karkhana,workshops.Finished
pieces are assembledd by
tarkhans,carpenters.Craftemen have also
begun incorporating camel bone,bone
powder,marble dust and silver with the wire
inlay.In Saharanpur tarkashi developed
from wood carving which was introduced
when kashmiri craftsmen visited the place
around the 1860s.In Mainpuri the craft was
patronized by the Nawabs.Among the
earliest products inlaid were
khadaun,wooden slippers worn by pious
Hindus.
1 Tarkashi and plastic
inlay.
2 Tarkashi and plastic
inlay on a folding book
stand which is cleverly
made from a single piece
of wood by sawing and
chiselling.Obviating the
need for hardware.
EBONY WOOD CARVING
Production Clusters
Bijnor district:
Bijnor
Nagina town:
Quazi
Lohari,Lal Noor
Shah Zahir
Mir ki Sarai
Products
Jaali comb,Judd comb
Machli ki jaali-comb
Tel wala kangya-oil
comb
Marore ki kalsi ka
kanga-comb
Double jaali ka gol
kanga-comb
Raja-rani ki kangi
Oranamental boxes
Walking sticks
Tools
Band saws
Girja-gouge
Chosi, Sumba, Taki
Ari-chisels
Barma-nail to drill
hole.
A SMALL POCKET of craftsmen in Nagina and Bijnor
specialize in carving ornamental combs and trinkets boxes
from abnoos,ebony.The combs are made in pairs,male and
female.The male combs,raja ki kangi,have teeth on one side
and the female combs,rani ki kangi,have teeth on both
sides.Traditionally simple combs were made.To carve a
comb,a piece of wood,the shape and size of a comb is
sawn.One or both edges are tapered off and teeth are cut into
them with chisels.The thicker side is ornamented with
openwork and stylized carving.Although ebony wood carving
in Nagina,the original centre.started about 300 to 400 years
ago,today the craftsmen have shifted to carving in
sheesham,dark coloured hardwood and making tarkashi
objects.Here the carving is more delicate and meticulous,and
closer to the traditional.Ebony being scarce and expensive has
almost completely been replaced by sheesham.The craftsmen
are Muslims.In Bijnor they are immigrants from Multan,a
province in Pakistan.
1. Lid of an ebony box from Nagina
2. Ebony comb from Bijnor
3. Fretworked and carved wooden box from Nagina