At the dawn of the 16th century, when the city of Jaipur was being conceptualized, artisans from all over the country were invited to aid the settlement with their skills; beautification of the city was one of the prime visions of its creator, Sawai Maansingh II. It continues to attract both artisans and their patrons to visit the city or even live there. Amongst these were the artisans of ‘Taarkashi’, who migrated to the city from Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh. Taar means wire, the technique of inlaying fine flattened wire of brass, copper or silver in wood is called Taarkashi. The patterns in layed are usually geometric forms or florals from Mughal arts. The metal inlay is a painstaking and highly skilled process. The artisan transfers a design from a piece of paper onto a block of wood. He then carves deep, thin grooves along the trace. Fine wires of brass are placed in the grooves and hammered into position. The inlaid wire sits flush with the surface of the wood. Finishing is done by buffing, care being taken not to heat the product, as that would dislodge the wires. https://www.instagram.com/p/CUK9Ysdpsb3/?utm_medium=tumblr