The Fascinating History of Bone Inlay
Bone inlay is an ancient decorative technique whereby hand-carved, delicate pieces of bone – typically camel bone – are woven into a piece of furniture or a decorative object of choice. The result is a distinctive, striking geometric design one can easily distinguish from other patterns and furniture designs. The bone inlay decorative technique takes time, with each piece of furniture becoming a timeless classic once completed. Bone inlay is striking, but so is the tradition and history that's woven into the very fabric of each piece of furniture.
Bone inlay is used in many pieces, but among our favourite are decorative lamps, which combine these distinctive sculptural elements with a practical use perfect for the home.
Below, we'll look at the fascinating history of bone inlay and why the highly traditional decorative technique is still used today.
The Origin Of Bone Inlay
It's thought that bone inlay production first originated in India, although the exact origin is murky. What we do know is that the art of bone inlay spans centuries. It's thought that the true origin of bone inlay is in the royal palaces of Rajasthan. The Maharajas ordered workers to create extravagant pieces of furniture such as cabinets and tables - some are still on display today for the public to see. What the Maharajas didn't realise is that they commissioned the start of a beautiful, highly traditional, decorative technique that modern civilisation finds themselves naturally mesmerised by.
There's evidence of bone inlay as early as the 18th century, such as with the embellished furniture of ancient Egypt that clearly shows remnants of bone inlay, to the lacquerware used in 18th century Japan. Interestingly, India even used bone inlay to form a decorative element in the architecture during the Mughal Empire. The Mughal Empire favoured the bone inlay technique because of its eye-catching qualities, believing it was a sign of power and importance.
Although anyone can master the bone inlay technique, what gives it its unique quality is it's very much a technique that's handed down through generations, with families very much seeing it as a tradition to pass down the knowledge of bone inlay creation.
Our own bone inlay lamps, including our ever-popular Assam design, are hand-carved. Each one is unique in its own right, and part of an unbroken chain of craftmanship that goes far into the past.
Centuries Of Magnificent Design
The commission of furniture in the royal palace arguably sparked what would become centuries of magnificent design, with each generation bringing a new element to the technique that's better than the one before. There's something so wholesome about authentic bone inlay furniture from India - it's very much a special tradition that's passed down through families, with each family uniquely mastering their technique. The result? Utterly magnificent designs, with each piece of furniture having subtle unique features that pay homage to the generational line of that particular designer.
Although this intriguing art is unique to India, many countries worldwide have adopted the use of the technique. For authentic items of bone inlay, however, one would need to explore furniture produced in the Jodhpur and Jaipur regions of Rajasthan in India.
Is Bone Inlay Ethical?
The art of bone inlay does feature pieces of bone. As per the traditional method of design, camel bone is the material of choice for bone inlay furniture. All furniture is, however, ethical and meets the requirements of the local authorities in India. Creators of bone inlay source materials from deceased camels that have passed from natural causes. Designers believe it's a practical and beautiful form of recycling, paying tribute to the spirit of the camel itself, allowing it to live on through the creation of furniture.
India and neighbouring Pakistan have an unprecedented number of camels, so using the bones for inlay furniture is an environmentally sensible concept.
Handcrafted Exquisiteness
The history of bone inlay and the passing down of the tradition is wholesome, but how is bone inlay produced? What is the technique behind, undeniably, one of the most mesmerising and delightful design techniques in furniture creation?
The process takes approximately a month to complete, with each step completed by hand, by a skilled tradesperson. The first step of the process is to delicately carve out fragments of camel bone to the desired design. The design of bone inlay is often geometric, but any pattern will produce an exquisite finish. Skilled workers then affix the bone inlay onto the intended frame in various patterns. They'll then pour resin around the bone inlays to create often striking contrasts in colour.
Bone inlay designs are unmissable. The striking design is truly unique, with authentic pieces of bone inlay furniture being a timeless classic. It's a very personal furniture design. There's no mass production. Each piece of bone inlay furniture is handmade by someone with a passion for bone inlay furniture designs.
More from Decoration
