The Art Of Kashi Kari
Kashi Kari is technique for hand painting earthenware items, specifically tiles and ceramics, otherwise called blue stoneware. This is an art that is regarded all around for its sublime magnificence and mind boggling craftsmanship. An enormous topic of the work is the utilization of blue and turquoise paint.
The Mughals laid extraordinary accentuation on the enhancements of their stupendous structures and utilized all types of frivolity: glazed tiling, stone mosaic or decorate works, fresco/wall painting artistic creations for stylishly engaging surfaces of their sublime design. Coated or glazed tiling was generally utilized for outside embellishments while stone mosaic and sketches were utilized for improving insides. The coated tiling ornamentation (also known as kashi-kari) is made out of a layer of shaded coatings spread on the mortar or earthenware body. One of the very famous places where kashi kari or glazed tile decoration is used is on the Picture Wall of Lahore Fort. The kashi kari on the northern and western dividers of Lahore Fort is exceptional, in that not at all like it is to be found in the entire scope of Mughal embellishments in the subcontinent. It is said that the coated tile picture wall of the Lahore Fort is a standout amongst the most agent relics of Jehangir's period of color and design. It is interesting in regard of its scale, plan and subjects; and something novel in regard of heavenliness and impact, which the world had not seen previously. The earliest dull red block of which the wall was assembled insipid to the magnificent eye, the whole royal residence front was secured with splendidly colored designs in "kashi" styles. Here the kashi kari shows conventional arabesque, geometrical, and foliated plans, as well as delineates figures of living creatures; the last one perspective making it very surprising from the workmanship connected to mosques and different structures of the Mughal time frame in India.
The kashi kari on the surface of the wall is separated into two flat areas of equivalent tallness by a cornice of brick which runs ceaselessly and consistently, even on such towers as Samman Burj and Kala Burj, from one end to the next. The frieze of the lower segment keeps running all through in a worry of swastikas, viz, swastika-vallari, made of raised red-supported bricks into which blue, coated tiles have been decorated, with the goal that an excellent arrangement of blue swastikas streams abundantly on a red foundation. The two areas are additionally partitioned consistently into arrangement of depressed boards or specialties angled, elongated, and square; even and vertical, each contained within raised banks or outskirts. This course of action has been made to maintain a strategic distance from the unpleasant impact of a "level" surface as regularly done in Iranian Art. It thus gives a delicate play of light and shadow, keeping any dreariness which the utilization of coated tile on such a vast scale could have delivered; without question, the arrangement of "framing" in this Picture Wall being a shrewd and novel component of the plan. It is imperative that while the indented boards are set with coated tiles in polychrome, the raised groups or fringes around them are just put over, and painted in cream or light yellow. In this manner each coated tile board has been confined beautifully inside a light shading outskirt.
As per the general plan, every raised band or fringes are light-painted, while the sunken specialties which they surrounded, regardless of whether angled, square or oval, are glaze-tiled in polychrome in classy outlines. The coated work of this area has been for the most part decimated and just its follows are held at places.
The upper area, on the western veneer and exteriors of some different castles, e.g. the Khwabgah, has been partitioned into four flat zones. The first is a progression of curves specialties flanked by thin vertical boards and by twofold curves with and elongated board between them. The most striking component of this arrangement is the red backed-clay miniature of "jharokas", which have been utilized in the focal point of these curves in high relief. Dark blue tiles have been studded into them. Adapted botanical, arabesque, and geometric plans in coated tiles have been prudently disseminated on this arrangement. The popular tile enhancement of the Lahore post likewise contains Solomonic suggestions. The metaphorical plan of this Picture Wall has drawn to a great extent on the contemporary specialty of painting. The style of portrayal of creature battles, chasing and different scenes, diversions, parades and legendary figures, their depiction, vivacity and wonderful, all affirm that these are run of the mill subjects of painting which were imitated in coated tiling.
This kashi work at the Fort was not the primary appearance of this method of adornment on a Mughal working in Lahore yet it stays a standout amongst the most sublime works of the Mughals amid their rule.
