Jaipur is considered to be the storehouse of various arts and crafts, especially the metal crafts. Taarkashi; is the technique where thin strips of wire are engraved on the surface of wood. The process of wire inlay involves a lot of steps. Drying or seasoning of wood is the process of removing the moisture from the wood. The seasoned wood is cut to the required shape and dimension according to the product to be made. For the strips to be inlayed first marking is done on the sheet of metal. According to the marking strips are cut out with the help of scissors. With the help of hammer, one side of the edge is beaten to make it sharp. These thin strips of wire are called as taar and used for inlay. The pattern to be made on the product are either drawn directly or printed on a paper and pasted on the surface of the wood. Mainly the artisans draw the design by hand using scale, compass and right angle. Once the layout and pattern making is done on the wood the craftsman starts engraving the design with the help of a half-round chisel and hammer. The wire is held and moved with one hand along the contour of the design and constantly hammered with another hand. The sharp edge of the wire is inlayed in the wood while the thick edge remains on the top. After the design is complete, the product is sanded with Silli to make the surface even. Burada is the saw dust of the same wood is mixed with fevicol and water. This mixture is applied all over the product with the help of a metal blade. This helps in filling the cracks, grooves and spaces left while engraving or chipping of wood. After filling and drying the product is scraped with the blade to remove all the excess Putti from the surfaces. Once the product is scraped, sand paper is used to rub the surface to give a smooth finish. Once the product is buffed, it is rubbed with a cotton cloth containing wax polish. This not only saves the surface of wood but also enhances the shine.

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