To create the pierced work design, blank 23-karat gold foil sheets somewhat longer than the final result are fixed on a working surface - a board covered with a layer of lac. The lac is warmed and the metal is pressed lightly onto it. When cold, the lac hardens and holds the gold foil, its resistance supporting the pressure on the metal during work.
Traditional design subjects are carefully drawn on the gold surface with a pointed steel scriber. The designs commonly used can be divided into two main groups - mythological (or religious) and secular. Popular subjects among the former are Srinathji, a form of Krishna installed at Nathdwara and Radha-Krishna. The latter include Shikargah, a hunting scene depicting animals in jungle foliage, water streams with domestic animals and flowers and birds, etc.
The entire background of the design is chiselled out and through these openings, the colored glass is seen in the result. This finished worksheet is heated and carefully stripped from the lac surface and cleaned. The surplus metal outside the design frame is trimmed away.
