Artist: Designer, probably
Ustad Ahmad; master architect, Abdul al-Karim; chief caligrapher, Amanat
Khan; (one of many) artists, Makramat Khan.
Title: Taj Mahal, Agra. Corner of the entrance prortal.
Material: Marble and semi-precious stones
Site: Agra, India
Current Location: In situ
Period/Date: built 1632 - 1643, Mughal Dynasty under Emperor Shah Jahan
(r.1628-1658, d.1666).
Iconography/Iconology: Floral and vegetal motifs came to be associated
with the flowers of paradise. They were used to describe the features of
a "beloved" in Islamic mystic poetry. The "beloved"
is a metaphor for God and, in the case of the Taj Mahal, might also refer
to Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved wife of the Emperor, entombed within the building
(Asher, AOMI, 214).
Stylistic Comments: This details shows vine scrolls and flowers executed
in lapidary inlay. The technique of inlay was to carve small pieces
of semiprecious stone and carefully fit them into channels cut into the
marble. Some of the lapidary carving is so finely done that a piece of paper
cannot be inserted between the marble matrix and the inset stones. The interior
and exterior of the entire monument is covered with such intricate inlay
making this monument one of the marvels of 17th century lapidary technique.
Asher, Catherine B. The New Cambridge History of India Architecture of Mughal India. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992.
