Being raised in Durban, I am no stranger to Indian culture and motifs. Looking to the rich textile designs in shop displays around Gateway where I work was a good place to start.
Focussing on the Paisley pattern on this dress, I saw a good opportunity to showcase some carving.
As the pattern features the natural element of a flower, it ties in well with the natural motifs used in Japanese metal artwork.
In order to inlay, you need a soft, malleable material such as platinum and generally a harder metal to lay the softer metal into. I had a piece of Damascus steel waiting for the right job and this was it. India has used a similar steel called Wootz steel and weapons have been inlayed with gold patterns for centuries.
First, I had to carve the ring from the block of damascus. This was done with a drill press, saw and files.
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