Carved Stone.
The agate vases of Baroach and Cambay have been famous under the name of Murrhine vases from the time of Pliny. The best carnelians and agates are found at Ratanpur near Baroach, and are taken to Cambay to be worked into cups, saucers, knife- handles, paperweights, beads, bangles, and other ornaments. Animals are carved in black chlorite at Gaya in the Patna division of Bengal ; and in white marble and reddish sandstone [Plate 63] at Ajmir and other places in Raj pu tana ; and we find the same truth of representation in these stone carvings as in the best ivory carvings of Amritsar, Benares, and Travancore. In Rajpu- tana also idols are largely carved in white marble, and brilliantly colored in red, green, yellow, and blue paint and gold. Jade is still carved in Cashmere. At Fattehpur Sikri models in soap- stone are made of the celebrated Mahommedan ruins of that city ; and it is also carved into ornamental dishes, inkstands, and other objects. Soapstone ornaments are also made at Gohari in the North-Western Provinces. In Singbhum and Man- bhum, in the Chota-Nagpur division of Bengal, there are large masses of soapstone, which the people have for ages worked into platters and cups. On the Nilgiri estate close to Balasore in Orissa, a black chlorite is obtained which is also worked into cups and dishes. Soapstone and potstone ware are manufactured at Tambulghata, and at Kanheri and Pendri, in the Central Provinces. At Nagpur, where in former times the art of stone and wood carving reached a high degree of perfection, there are still many excellent stone carvers among the masons. The art has to a certain extent fallen into disuse, but efforts are being made to revive it. The Chanda masons also are very skilful in carving stone. The stone carvers of Katch and Kathiwar are celebrated all over Western India.
