The Marble Factory
Returning
from our visit to the Taj Mahal, we were guided to a marble factory by our
guide, under the auspices of using the restroom. What a surprise, a guide who
led us to a friend's or relative's shop! However, not to worry, as he assured us
that this is the "best marble factory in Agra"--lucky us! At any rate, it was
interesting watching how the designs we had just admired at the Taj Mahal were
produced and continue to be manufactured for consumption around the world. The
distinguishing characteristic between the marble used here and at the Taj Mahal
(as opposed to most marble) is the non-porous nature of Agra marble. It will not
absorb any sort of liquid or particle matter. If the Taj Mahal had been
constructed from porousmarble, given the pollution in Agra, that storied
black Taj Mahal would certainly be a reality by now! The other interesting feature
of the Agra marble was its translucence; even a thick piece of marble such as a
table-top allows light to easily pass through it. This is what gives the marble
its luster. Most of the marble work we saw at the factory was the pietra dura,
or marble inlaid with gemstones. The tour took us through the production from
start to finish. The photo to the left shows the preliminary polishing and
shaping of the marble pieces, still done on a hand lathe. The photo to the right
shows the crucial step of inlaying the semi-precious stones into the marble,
completing the pietra dura process. From there the marble pieces go
through a final polishing before ending up on display, as shown in the picture
at the top. Below are videos of the activities described in the pictures to the
left and right.
|
Polishing the Marble |
Inlaying the Stones |
