Pietra Dura, is the technique of engraving artistic designs in marble, and filling the troughs with finely cut coloured precious or semi-precious stones. Pietra Dura, originally a European art, has been used in India since the 13th and 14th centuries. Mostly floral designs and patterns are used for this kind of inlay art.
Pietra Dura style of marble work has been used extensively at the
Taj Mahal and other Mughal monuments for centuries. This art was developed during the reign of the
Mughal emperors in India. The Pietra Dura style has been taken to a higher level at the
Radhaswami Temple, in
Agra.
Pietra Dura work is also seen in the
Golden Temple,
Amritsar.
Direct descendants of people who did the Pietra Dura work of the Taj Mahal, are today, doing the inlay work for making plates and jewelry boxes.
