Delhi and Agra, IndiaDelhi and Agra comprise two-thirds of the ‘golden triangle tour’ that is recomm

Delhi and Agra, IndiaDelhi and Agra comprise two-thirds of the ‘golden triangle tour’ that is recommended to every tourist who travels to India for the first time (i.e. me!). This is mainly because the Mughal dynasty left such a lasting impact on much of historical attractions in those cities. Characterized by intricate white marble carving, brightly colored marble inlay decoration, and delicate flowery motifs, the Mughal style of art and architecture was heavily influenced by Persian culture yet still distinctly Indian—much like its rulers. The Brooklyn Museum’s panel of white marble inlaid with colored stone is an apt example of this style of architectural ornamentation that is found on the Taj Mahal’s exterior.  Shah Jahan (1592-1666) in particular was one of the greatest commissioners of Mughal art. He is featured as the central figure in our group portrait of three generations of Mughal emperors. Our calligraphy page from a Mughal album was probably commissioned by him and shows the typical ‘Shah Jahan flowers,’ in that they are stemmed. Not only was he heavily involved in the creation of the iconic Taj Mahal, employing more than 20,000 artisans to create it, but he also made the impressive red sandstone forts in Agra and Delhi.I was fortunate enough to visit all three sites and received a little tutorial on how marble inlay artisans create such lasting decorations on structures like the Taj Mahal. Marble inlay is an incredibly mysterious art, in large part due to the fact that its knowledge is handed down strictly from father to son, throughout generations. And the greatest transmitted secret of all is the formula for the glue that binds the colored stones to their marble cavities. Indeed, this is the magical glue that is responsible for over 400 years of the Taj Mahal’s decorative durability. This is truly extraordinary in light of the fact that tens of thousands of tourists are allowed to touch the Taj Mahal’s walls every year! The glue apparently only melts once during the application process, and then never again. Although I wasn’t able to obtain its recipe, I was able to try the grinding and carving processes. The carving in particular was difficult, as artisans only use their ring fingers, instead of their index fingers, to push the blade into the marble. This, I was told, offers the advantages of a lighter and therefore more controlled touch, as well as the most slanted angle to cover more area.In terms of Mughal landscape design, I discovered that all of the main gardens found in the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, and Agra Fort were of the four-quadrant Mughal style. One example of this is shown in the background of the Brooklyn Museum’s Mughal painting of ladies. Originally a traditional Persian manner of garden design with one central foundation flanked by four quadrants, these gardens were once filled with fruit trees and flowers to mimic heaven. Later, however, they were replaced with manicured shrubberies and flower beds planted in rows after the English style of garden design.With two-thirds of the golden triangle covered, I then headed north to Rajasthan. Stay tuned for more!  Posted by Amanda Imai -- source link

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