Introduction
The craftsmanship has always been one of the most demanding skills in the art world. Art and craft have evolved over time across the globe, from the Paleolithic age, when early humans created mural art on cave walls and rock shelters, to the present day, where artists showcase their talents in graphic and digital art. India boasts a diverse range of art and craft spanning ancient times. Rajasthan is one of the states that still retains many age-old arts. Techniques such as wood carving, marble carving, and mural painting are prevalent, but there is another historic art form that has been practiced in Rajasthan since the 16th century: ‘Tarkashi art’. This form of artistry flourished during the reign of the Mughal Empire, with emperors like Akbar serving as great patrons, encouraging artists to fully utilise their skills. This article will explore the significance of this art.
Origins of the art form
Tarkashi art boasts a history of over 500 years, having been influenced by Persian art that first reached Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh. From there, this art form flourished across India, with Odisha and Mysuru being other notable locations. In Mysuru, during the reign of Tipu Sultan and the Wodeyar dynasty, Tarkashi art significantly expanded and became one of the region’s important art forms. Later, in the 16th century, Tarkashi made its way to Jaipur, Rajasthan, thanks to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. Many craftsmen and artisans were able to enhance their influence and skills under his patronage. Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor, expressed an interest in these crafts upon ascending the throne in Amber. The craftsmen who specialize particularly in Tarkashi art typically belong to the Jangid community, renowned for their expertise in woodwork and carpentry. This art form is primarily utilized in windows, doors, thrones, and various types of furniture. The term ‘Taar’ translates to wire; it refers to a technique involving the inlaying of flat-lined wire made from copper, brass, or silver in wood. This painstaking process of inlaying is what defines Tarkashi art, presenting a significant challenge for any artist or craftsman.
Process and techniques involved in Tarkashi Art
Background: Tarkashi art has various stories of its own, from where it originated. Before we go further into the details of making and shaping this art in different forms, Tarkashi art is said to have two origins on how it finally came to Jaipur. The first one is about Kashmir, which is famous for its pashmina and wood carvings. It is said that the art of making Tarkashi items emerged from here. Later on, this art form reached Uttar Pradesh, and it came to Jaipur when Maharaja Sawai Man Singh invited the master artist, Sri Sawan Lal Misra, who was encouraged to teach this technique to the artists of Jaipur during the 16th century.
After Jaipur, Tarkashi art form has another similar form which comes from some of the parts of Odisha, where it is known as ‘Filigree’. This word comes from Latin, ‘filum’, and ‘granum’, which means thread and grain. The origin of this art form is still debated today, whether it emerged from Greek culture or Persian culture. Tarkashi is also said to have existed from Mesopotamian times, it migrated to other parts of Asia after its decline.
Mohan Lal Sharma is one of the proud artists from the Jangid community in Jaipur. He has been practicing this art for almost 40 years, and through his guidance or explanation, the process of making Tarkish art on different materials can be understood as follows:
- Use of seasoned wood: Before the process begins, the woodcut is chosen which has no moisture in it. Then the fresh wood block is dried to work upon later. This is done by stacking the wooden piece between two planks, which have enough space for air to flow through, which helps in keeping the wood more dry.
- After this, the wood is cut down into a desirable shape for inlaying the wire. It usually depends on the dimension of the wood on how the inlaying will come about, and the wood can be cut down before or after the inlaying of wires is done.
- The wire is then prepared by taking a sheet of metal, which can be of brass, copper or silver, and upon it the strip of string is marked. The wire can be almost 1 inch wide, no proper measurements are taken while cutting down these strips of wires with scissors and a hammer. The hammer is usually used to make the one end of the string sharp, which will help in inlaying it in the wooden piece.
- The wooden piece is marked by the artist before inlaying the wire. The artists use instruments like a compass, a hand scale and other measuring instruments to make proper designs and grids on the wooden surface. Compass is usually used to measure the distance between grids, the compass and the other instrument, protractor or D is known as Gunia and Prakar.
- The engraving is then done with the help of tools like a chisel and a small hammer. The engraving design is usually a floral pattern, but in some cases, there are even images of god being engraved on the wooden piece.
- The wires are then inlaid on the engraving using a small hammer. The sharp end of the wire is first inland into the engraving. When the inlaying of the wire is finished, the leftover wire is cut down with the help of the hammer.
- The next step involves putting the wood product in sand to make its surface even. Then the surface of the product is applied with water and Fevicol, which is then left in the sun to dry.. The surface of the wood is scraped of excess water and fevicol paste after it is fully dried up. In the last step, the surface of the wood is buffed with a cutting or shining pad to give it a finished look, and the surface is then cleaned with cotton to remove excess amount of wax.
References to Pop Culture
In the modern world, Tarkashi art is still being used in furniture and small wooden items, which represent the intricate art culture of Rajasthan. But this art form has also been utilized in the doors of the haveli and palaces, which exist today. Not much of a reference has been found for this art in the pop culture of contemporary times.. However, there are some movie scenes which have the backdrop of these crafted design doors, like ‘Shudh Desi Romance’, which has a scene with the backdrop of a Haveli with intricately designed doors.
Conclusion
This art form has not only defined the culture of Rajasthan, but also of other places like Cuttack (Odisha), Mysuru (Karnataka), and Kashmir. Tarkashi might be outdated for this modern world, still the beauty of this artwork mesmerizes the onlookers and tourists. It represents the culture and the sophisticated technique that have been refined over the years. Wooden items like ornamental boxes are still being used in Hindu traditions to keep jewelry. The boxes have a simple mechanism, but their design itself makes them stand apart from other plain storage boxes. Rajasthan studio and other communities in Jaipur are keeping this traditional art form alive by giving workshop training to the new generation of artists. Mohan Lal Sharma is one of the master artists who guides them there in the workshops. These workshops keep this traditional craft technique relevant for the modern world.
Sources :
https://www.ifaaonline.com/tarkashi-art/
https://medium.com/@DirectCreate/tarkashi-inlay-from-rajasthan-115e5d2d7b07
https://rajasthanstudio.com/tarkashi-inlay-the-art-of-engraving-wire-on-wood/