Usta Art

Usta Art — Bikaner (Rajasthan)
•    Usta Art is an important traditional art form of Bikaner and originated in the Mughal era.
•    It is a form of miniature painting and gold embossing art done on camel hide, wood, and marble.
•    Usta Kala received GI tag in 2023.
•    Junagarh Fort in Bikaner contains notable examples of Usta Art, especially in Phool Mahal, Karan Palace, Chandra Palace, and Anup Palace.
•    Fine brushes made from squirrel hair are used for detailed painting, and specialized instruments are used for embossing and gold foil application.
•    The process begins with tracing designs on the surface, after which a paste of ground earthen pot sand, glue, and jaggery is applied to create embossed patterns.
•    After drying, gold foil is laid over the raised designs.
•    The designs use Mughal-inspired geometric and floral motifs in vibrant colours like red, green, and blue along with gold embossing.
•    Usta Art is used to make decorative items such as lamp shades, vases, mirror frames, and traditional camel hide artefacts.