Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c7.s5.22

c7.s5.22

At Chanhu-daro a bead-maker’s shop was exposed throwing light on the different stages of bead industry. The rough stone (Khad-patthar खड़पत्थर ) was first split and sawn into a bar as at present (Chīrnā चीरना ). A wire bow with an abrasive like powdered quartz is used for this purpose at present and it does not appear that the technique has changed from what it was in the Indus Valley. The small rod of semi-precious stone (Skt. Maṇi, Persian Sang) about 3 inches in length and square in section was then flaked to a rough cylinder and finally ground and polished. The second part of the technique is called कोरना (koraṇā) i. e. making round and is still employed by the traditional lapidarists. The three-fold process of cutting, rounding and polishing being over, two more processes remained, viz. perforating a central longitudinal hole and finally cutting the rods to the required size of the bead. The process of drilling or boring (Hindi, bedhanā) was laborious but performed with simple tools and an adroitness gained after long experience. Today Cambay is the biggest centre of bead manufacture, specially agate, and it may not be surprising if the Harappan craftsmen of Rangpur and Lothal started the industry and have left behind their legacy.