187 
“ tothis (of Ahmedabad in theDeccan).” This, how- 
ever, pace tanti viri, appears somewhat hasty criticism, 
there being little more sinn litu de between tbe South 
ern and Northern schools of tracery than there is 
between point-lace and Honiton flowers. The Jalee 
of Upper India is a fine filagree of marble or sand 
stone fretted into an almost endless network of geo- 
metrical combinations, such as can only be under- 
stood by seeing the carvings themselves or good 
photographs, if then. If then, because such is the 
complication of the lines that the greatest geometri- 
cians may be puzzled to analyse the designs. 'Ihe 
same author thus aocounts for the invention of this 
art:—“ Every form of a Hindoo temple was repro- 
“ duced except in one particular. In the angles of 
“ all Hindoo temples are niches containing images. 
“ This the Moslem could not tolerate, so he filled them 
“ with tracery. . . . After a oentury’s experienee they 
“ produced forms which as architectural Ornaments, 
“ will in their own dass stand comparison with any 
“ employed at any age or in any part of the world; 
“ and in doing this they invented a dass of window 
“ tracery in which also they were unrivalled.” 
In Northern India the use of some material that 
should, like glass, afford protection from weather, 
while, unlike glass, it admitted of free Ventilation, 
led to a great elaboration of this last or window- 
tracery dass. Almost all the Pathan and Moghul 
buildings are full of these minute yet everlasting 
pieces of fretwork. The marble screens that go on 
all four sides of the open ehamber on the summit of 
Akber’s mausoleum at Sikandra are as fresh as when 
first executed more than two hundred and sixty 
years ago, and each screen contains twelve panels, 
except where a panel in the centre has been left open 
for the view, and there are three different patterns 
of panel in each screen. The upper ehamber of 
Itmad-ood-Dowlah’s tomb is all lace-work of the 
same kind; and the Fort and Taj have also elaborate 
examples of this work, one panel in the screen round 
the cenotaphs in the latter being carved out of a 
single slab of marble over six feet high. 
Of marble tracery at Delhi there are fine examples 
of all ages, probably all the work of Hindoo artizans, 
and appearing to increase in fineness and intricacy 
as it reaches modern times. Among the earliest.are 
the window screens in the beautiful building, just 
behind the Kootub Minar, known as Ala-ood-Deen’s 
gate, and dated A.D. 1310. The tracery here is hold 
and massive, in harmony with the tone of the whole 
work, which is the finest specimen extant of the first 
Pathan period. In the enclosure of Nizam-ood- 
Deen’s tomb (close by the mausoleum of the emperor 
Humayun) are tracery screens in white marble from 
■ the middle of the fourteenth Century down to that 
of Meerza Jahangeer, constructed in 1832. As a 
mere piece of workmanship this last exceeds the 
rest; and the tombs comprised in this small ceme- 
tery will be found very interesting to those who wish 
to compare the work of various distant epochs. 
But all the marble-work of this region is surpassed 
by the monument which Akber erected over the re- 
mains of his friend and spiritual counsellor Shekh 
Suleem Chishtee at Futtehpoor-Seekree (1581, A.D.). 
In the N.W. angle of a vast courtyard, 433 ft, by 
366 ft., is a pavilion, externally of white marble, 
surrounded by a deep projecting dripstone, of white 
marble also, supported by marble shafts crowned by 
most fantastic brackets, shaped like the letter 8, 
The outer screens are so minutely pierced that they 
actually look like lace at a little distance, and filu- 
minate the mortuary ehamber within with a solemn 
half-light which resembles nothing eise that I have 
seen. The whole of this elaborate work, including 
the Strange but most pleasing design of the brackets, 
appears to have been produced by the resident stone- 
cutters of the place, unedueated men earning pro 
bably an average wage of about a penny a day. I 
believe that no instance of such pure patient work 
manship, so dignified yet so various, is to be found 
in the world. The sand-stone Jalee is used some- 
times in the interior of apartments, such as the fe- 
male galleries, from which, as in our House of Com 
mons, the ladies could look down on the meetings of 
men in halls below. But more commonly the work 
occurs in balustrades and parapets, where it has a 
fine effect. This stone comes from the Futtehpoor 
quarries or from Bhurtpoor; the white marble from 
the Jaipoor territories. The difference both in the 
cost of material and labour is very great; a small slab 
of marble carving of this kind will cost 10Z., while 
one of sand-stone can be obtained for one tenth of 
the price. 
Lastly must be mentioned the modern practice of 
carving in soap-stone. This material appears to be 
a steatite of particularly rough texture an d a warm 
grey tint. It comes from a place in the dominions 
of H.H. the Maharaja of Jaipoor, and Stands like 
leather, though it cuts like cheese. It forms into 
beautifully sharp patterns, either floral or arabesque, 
which are made into boxes, card trays, and such like 
articles of drawing room use. But a time may be 
hoped for when this cheap and pretty work may be 
extended to architectural decoration. I am not in« 
formed as to its powers of standing weather; but in 
the interior of halls and reception rooms its intro- 
duction on white walls and ceilings would have a fine 
effect, either as cornices or mantel-mouldings. A 
handsome piece of soap-stone carving may be had 
for a few rupees; and the decoration of a whole 
dining room with it would hardly be more expensive 
than the decoration of the same walls with English 
paper-hangings. 
Madras Committee. 
Block of soapstone, “ Balapam.” From Salem Taluk. 
Bombay Committee. 
Coloured stone (6 specimens). Black, red, deep 
red, purple, crimson, and sparkling white. From 
Surat. 
Coloured stone (2 specimens). Yellow and green 
and red. From Kutch. 
Black stone (with two of its sides polished). From 
Kolapore. 
Bengal Committee. 
Stone, “ Thala.” Platter. From Balasore. 
Stone, “ Bäte.” Cap. From Balasore. 
Stone drinking cup, with oover. From Balasore. 
Made of a kind of black magnesian rock in- 
termediate in composition between potstone and 
Serpentine, approaching the formier in appearance, 
but of a less greasy grain. It is quarried at the 
villages of Santragadia and Gujadiha, a few 
miles south of Nilgiri in the hills bordering on 
Balasore. These vessels are cut roughly into 
form in the quarry and finished in the villages 
by filier tools, lathe-turning, &c. 
Ambier, Monghyr. 
Circular slate trays (2).