BOMBAY WORK. The inlaid work of ivory, white and dyed, of ebony or other coloured woods, for which Bombay has long been famous, is said to have been introduced from the Panjab, and is also familiarly known as Multan work. The art dates from a remote period, and paper-cutters, work-boxes, writing-desks, and similar articles are its chief products. The effect of a large mass of it is very poor ; the pattern is too fine for being distinguishable, and it fills the eye with a general greyish tint. In articles which do not present more than a foot or two of surface, it is very pleasing. The ground of the inlaid pattern is generally scented cedar or sandal-wood, the joinery exhibited in which is very indifferent. The inlay ing material is prepared as follows : The wood or ivory is cut into slips of a lozenge or triangular section, as may be required, by a long, thin-bladed, fine-toothed saw. The tin is drawn through betwixt a pair of grooved rollers, like those used for laminating or extending iron ; they work together by teeth at the extremity. One or two
draws through extends the metal into the length desired. The wires and splints are nearly all either lozenge-shaped or triangular, the triangles being equilateral, the lozenges composed of two equi lateral triangles. A pattern being fixed on, the splints are built up into pieces about eighteen inches long, and from a quarter to two inches in thickness, firmly glued together. In the case of borders, or continuous pieces of work, the rods are glued together betwixt pieces of ivory, or wood and ivory alternately, so as to form straight lines on each side of the pattern. When about to be used, they are sawn across the thickness of a sixpence, and arranged in a box divided into compartments, something like a printer's case. They are then picked up in succession, and applied with glue to the box or other article to be inlaid.