Thanjavur Art Plates

Listing ID #257288

We offer the finest of embossed Thanjavur Art Plates. The beautiful Thanjavur (tanjore) plates, bowls, napkin rings, jewel boxes etc., made of copper and brass, with motifs drawn from Hindu mythology and encrusted in silver against a finely engraved back ground, which exemplify both superlative skill and mastery of materials. The art of engraving and embossing exquisite figures and images in Thanjavur Art Plates is the finest metal craft, for which the main center of production is Tanjore or Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu identified on the map of India. Our Thanjavur Art Plates come in different sizes and shapes on metal mainly silver, fixed on brass or copper plates. History The creation of the Thanjavur Art Plates is credited to raja Serfoji Ii (1797-1832), the Maratha ruler of Tanjore, who asked his royal artisans to create metal artifact that would reflect the glory of his kingdom. Silver, brass, and copper are encrusted on to each other to create this stunning piece of art. The effect of silver in high relief on the reddish copper ground is unusual and striking. Artisans of the Vishwakarma community follow this hereditary profession in Thanjavur. This metal plate has as its base a plate of brass prepared by a heavy-metal worker and the relief on copper is worked upon by a jeweler while the encrusting is done by a stone-setter with silver. The tools used to create this metal craft item are hammers, pincers, moulds, punches, chisels, grinding stones and a forge. Process Of Making Thanjavur Art Plates The first step involves cutting the base to the size of plate planned and polishing its front side. It is then fixed firmly to an asphalt bed with a wooden base which is then heated with a blow pipe and leveled so that the basic design die is prepared. The silver and copper sheets are then cut to the size, heated slightly before being cast into an impression on to the die. The impression thus achieved is finished by etching and refining the embossing with the aid of chisels and punches.  The next step involves encrusting and super imposing the metal sheet. This is done by filling with wax made of brick powder, gingili oil, and frankincense the hollow depressions at the back of the relief sheet. The relief sheet is then placed on the base plate and riveted on by punching along the grooves. This is then followed by the final polishing. The embossed designs on the central circular metallic disc may include a representation of deities like Nataraja, Saraswati, Ashta Lakshmi and Ganapaty while the designs around the central motif can be from the pantheon of Hindu deities or floral designs. Besides Thanjavur Art Plates, the exquisite art metal products such as bowls, napkin rings, jewel boxes, key chains and paper weights are made using the same technique. Logos and emblems of corporate houses and organizations have also been embossed.