INLAY WORK

INTRODUCTION

• Inlay covers a range of techniques in sculpture and the decorative arts for inserting pieces of contrasting, often coloured
materials into depressions in a base object to form ornament or pictures that normally are flush with the matrix.
• A great range of materials have been used both for the base or matrix and for the inlays inserted into it. Inlay is
commonly used in the production of decorative furniture, where pieces of coloured wood, precious metals or even
diamonds are inserted into the surface of the carcass using various matrices including clearcoats and varnishes. 
Lutherie inlays are frequently used as decoration and marking on musical instruments, particularly the smaller strings.
• Perhaps the most famous example of furniture inlay is that of Andre-Charles Boulle (11 November 1642 – 28 February
1732) which is known as Boulle Work and evolved in part from inlay produced in Italy during the late 15th century at the 
Studiolo for Federico da Montefeltro in his Ducal Palace at Urbino, in which trompe
• l'œil shelving seems to carry books, papers, curios and mathematical instruments, in eye-deceiving perspective. The
similar private study made for him at Gubbio is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
INLAY WORK ON WOOD

• In a wood matrix, inlays commonly use wood veneers, but other materials like shells, mother-of-
pearl, horn or ivory may also be used. Pietre dure, or coloured stones inlaid in white or black
marbles, and inlays of precious metals in a base metal matrix are other forms of inlay. Master
craftsmen who make custom knives continue a tradition of ancient techniques of inlaying precious
metals; additionally, many new techniques which use contemporary tools have also been developed
and utilized as well by artisans.

• Intarsia inlay in wood furniture differs from marquetry, a similar technique that largely replaced it in
high-style European furniture during the 17th century,[2] in that marquetry is an assembly of
veneers applied over the entire surface of an object, whereas inlay consists of small pieces inserted
on the bed of cut spaces in the base material, of which most remains visible.
INLAY ON METALS
• The history of inlay is very old but it is still evolving alongside new
technologies and new materials being discovered today. The technique of
metal in metal inlay was sophisticated and accomplished in ancient China as
shown in examples of vessels decorated with precious metals including this
ding vessel (pictured) with gold and silver inlay from the Warring States
period (403-221 BC).
 HISTORY
• The French cabinet maker Andre-Charles Boulle (1642-1732) specialised in furniture using inlays or metal and
either wood or tortoiseshell together, the latter acting as the background. This type of inlay is known as "Boulle
Work".

• After learning the skill of smithing from the Navaho in 1872, the Zuni silversmiths cut small chips from crystals and
gemstones, pearl shell and coral, to make inlay designs in a base of silver.

• In 1990, Vivienne Westwood was inspired by Boulle Work, the inlay of precious metals into or onto wood to create
a collection with inlay in the manner of André-Charles Boulle.[citation needed]

• Sun King Diamond Coating by Jean Boulle Luxury on a Bentley Azure in Monaco

• In 2016, a subsidiary company of Jean-Raymond Boulle discovered and has filed a patent[8] for a new type of
diamond inlay in keeping with Boulle Work, subsequently produced by AkzoNobel for application on cars,[9][10]
planes[11][12] and yachts.

• The Inlaid Brass Ewer, signed by ʿAli ibn ʿAbdallah al-ʿAlawi, currently sits at the Museum of Islamic Art at the
Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. This 35 centimeter high jug can be dated back to the 13th century, during
the Ayyubid dynasty, from about 1251-1275. It was produced in Mosul, in northern Iraq, a place that was known for
its beautiful metalwork. The Inlaid Brass Ewer was used along with a basin, also signed by ʿAli ibn ʿAbdallah al-
ʿAlawi, and both were most likely owned by a member of the higher class to wash their hands before dining at court.
This ewer, along with a group of other inlaid brasses, can be associated with Mosul because of the abundance of
TECHNICAL EVALUATION
• The workshops of Mosul were known to have the finest bronzes, including ewers, basins, candlesticks,
and others. These bronzes were inlaid with silver and gold, and were decorated with intricate designs
and inscriptions. While the technique of metalworking originated in Persia, the trade routes in Mosul
shaped it. The earliest use of metalworking was with copper, but with the addition of zinc, copper
became brass. In Islamic areas, brass was used to make large braziers and dishes, but soon became
proficient in creating ewers, basins, and other bronzes. These would then be decorated with gold and
silver through the technique of inlaying. The process of inlaying a precious metal on top of a less
precious one is evident on most of the bronzes that came from Mosul. A group of craftsman centered in
Mosul created the Mosul school, which created an improved way of inlaying metals. This technique
would bypass the earlier method of inlaying, especially when it came to silver. Strips of silver and gold
were placed on undercut bronze and brass pieces in a way that when finished would show no
irregularity. This technique was later brought to other cities, including Damascus. The technique of
Damascene, named after the city of Damascus, involved the metal being inlaid to be softer than the
substrate metal; the look was created by hammering the metal into an undercut hard metal. By
hammering in strips of gold and silver, the brass ewers had predetermined patterns that were decorated.
The Inlaid Brass Ewer's patterns and inscriptions include thrones, riders, and planets with their zodiac
signs, and are inlaid with silver and gold. The motifs and metal choices are very common for Mosul
INLAY IN STONE
• The natives of Kerma (c.2500 BCE to c.1500 BCE) developed techniques for
architectural inlays and glazed quartzite.[15][16] Pietra dura is the usual term
in Europe for detailed inlays in contrasting colours of stones, including many
semi-precious types; parchin kari is an Indian term. Pietra dura developed from
the Roman Opus sectile, which was typically used on a larger scale, especially
in floors. Cosmatesque work on walls and floors, and smaller objects, was a
medieval intermediate stage, continuing ancient opus alexandrinum.
• Inlaid artefacts have come down to us from the Ancient Mayan civilisation,
among them, jade, mother of pearl and onyx inlaid into stone during the era
that arts reached a peak during the seven centuries from 200 to 900 AD.
THE INLAY PROCESS

• The sequence of processes that culminates in the realization of a masterpiece of marble inlay
was perfected by the Mughal artisans in the 17th century, and has remained largely unchanged
for over 400 years.
• Although the art still makes use of tools & technique from the Mughal era, but the precision in
workmanship that master artisans achieve with their superb skills, cannot be replicated by
most modern day machines.
• Marble Emporium has preserved this art in its most original form. In our workshops each
masterpiece passes through various stages of creation, broadly divided into the planning and
the execution phases.
• Each project is meticulously planned by the master artist, who begins with a crisp
understanding of the project and creation of a concept according to customer’s specifications.
• He then lays foundation of the entire process by dividing the marble panel in symmetric
sections using traditional geometric tools, and making a final sketch of the selected design on
1:1 scale.
• This entire drawing is traced on a brass sheet, which is cut out accurately by a
specialist, to make templates of every component of the design.
• This leads to one of the most important phases of planning, which is the selection
of gems and semiprecious stones for the motifs

• Specially selected gem stones and precious materials such as Amethyst, Coral,
Turquoise, Tiger’s Eye, Lapis lazuli, Malachite, Abalone Shell, Cornelian and Jade
etc. are used to create an effect which is equivalent to “Painting with Hard
Stones”.
EXECUTION
• The execution of entire plan is now carried out by a team of highly skilled artisans, each responsible for
accomplishing only one specialized phase of the complete process.

• Saan &kamaaniThis begins with the lapidary artists, who shape the selected gem stones on a hand driven tool
known as “Saan & Kamaani”. These artists demonstrate exceptional precision in transforming these gem stones in
delicate floral motifs.

• In doing so, tiny pieces of gemstones are held in the fingertips, and touched with an emery wheel, which is rotated
by hand with great precision using a cane rod attached with a leather band. Such is the mechanism of these wheels
that it gives absolute control in the hands of the artists whilst they shape the gem stones.

• This phase of recreating the entire design in stones can take from a few weeks to several years, depending on the
intricacy and complexity of the motifs.

• Once accomplished, the work is transferred to the next set of artisans who specialize in setting of these gems in
marble.

• This stage begins by arranging the shaped gem stones on the marble panel, at specific position marked by the master
artisans. The contours of these stones are traced with a fine pointed chisel or a lead, to get an outline of each element
on the marble. The stone motifs are then removed and kept aside in a chronological order.
• Using hand held chisels, the master setters engrave the marble with great care, to make
grooves which correspond exactly with the gemstones. Such is the accuracy of the process
that once inlaid there is no visible gap between the edge of the stone and the marble.This is
not an easy process as the Indian marble is one of the hardest materials to work.
• Using specially prepared glue, the gem stones are inlaid in specific grooves created for every
individual pattern.IMG_9491
• Finally the finished example is passed to polishing specialists, who use finely powdered
“trade secret” mixtures of polishing compounds for this purpose. The traditional polish lasts
5 times longer than “modern wax” polish. However it is a procedure which is closely
protected by only few expert exponents today.
• At last the whole project is carefully checked by the trained eyes and hands of the “Ustad”
before delivery to the art gallery.
THANK YOU