THE MASTERS
The word Ustad refers to a master of a particular trade and the suffix ‘ji’ denotes honour and respect. The title Ustaji is used to denote a master of marble sculpture.
The Ustaji of Makrana are craftsmen privileged to work with some of the most beautiful marble in the world; the brilliant white Makrana sourced from some of the oldest mines in India and revered around the world for its exquisite quality and aesthetic.
By the same token, the marble of Makrana has the honor of being worked by some of the most skilled and respected stonemasons; the Ustaji who carry within them the skills of their many forefathers. Together, this combination of man and material create an exquisite balance of Art and nature.
The Ustaji of Makrana have a long and distinguished history of fine craftsmanship, made possible by the exquisite Makrana marble that lies beneath the beautiful Rajasthan region of India and is mined in the town of Makrana.
Makrana is believed to have been settled by almost 2000 artisans who flocked to the area in the 17th century. They were mostly from a coastal area between Pakistan and Iran, also known as Makran, but stonemasons also relocated from all over India to Makrana around the same time. The reason for this sudden swelling of the population of Rajasthan, and specifically the town of Makrana, was the employment offered by the building of what would become one of the world’s most recognizable buildings – the Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal
The building of the Taj Mahal sent demand for the beautiful, yet robust white marble mined at Makrana soaring. Laborers were required to mine and cut the marble, and skilled craftsmen were needed to work and carve it. Many of the artisans who brought the skills of stonemasonry to Makrana settled there; where better to establish a family tradition than at the source of some of the finest marble in the world; the oldest marble mines in India.
The town of Makrana became a thriving Silawat community, with the vast majority of people employed in trades associated with the Makrana marble. The increasing demand as the marble wares produced at Makrana gained admiration and respect far and wide, accelerated the rapid improvement and refining of skills of the Ustaji.
These skills were handed down from generation to generation; children are born into natural apprenticeships; immersed in a community that revolves around the mining, working, and selling of Makrana marble. This continuity has fuelled the development of unique expertise. As each individual artisan tries, fails and succeeds, learning new techniques, refining skills and pushing the boundaries of the craft, the next generation is poised and ready to take the craft further.
Craftsmanship
Craftsmanship breathes humanity into objects, and it connects us to one another. In the skilled hands of the Ustaji, the full potential of Makrana marble is made real. From mammoth monuments that tower above us to small objets d’art that fit into the palm of our hand, the versatility of this natural material is astounding. The same marble that forms the epic slabs used in the UNESCO world heritage site the Taj Mahal, or the epic Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, can also be carefully crafted into tiny trinkets, detailed sculptures, and intricate ornaments. The marble lends itself equally well to intricate carving inlaid with precious stones as it does to smooth minimalist finishes that integrate easily into the modern aesthetic.
The thread that links each of these vastly different applications is the Ustaji; their dedication and aptitude. The Ustaji have become custodians of this precious material, creating a flow of endless tradition in which the works of yesterday stand as a testament to the Ustaji of yesterday, constantly added to by the Ustaji of today and overseen by the Ustaji of tomorrow who will inherit the honor of custodianship.