Analytical Study of Decorative Techniques Used in S̲h̲īs̲h̲ Maḥal, Lahore Fort, Pakistan

S̲h̲īs̲h̲ Mah͎al, the magnificent and monumental creation of Mughals, still stands like a jewel after hundreds of years. This building characteristically excels in its decoration and is best known for its intricate detailing. The evolution and transformation of decorative arts reached its zenith during the reign of S̲h̲āh Jahan (1628 - 1658), which is known as the era of delicacy and pure light in white. The aim of this paper is to study the decorative arts that excelled during this golden era. In this regard, S̲h̲īs̲h̲ Maḥal, situated at the Lahore Fort, is taken as a case study. Comprehensive documentation of these decorative arts including their design, material and technology developed the baseline inventory for their interpretation and appreciation. The study further explored the transformations and transitions during their refinement in addition to their description in the historical textual data. 
        Keywords: decorative techniques, Pietra-dura, S̲h̲āh Jahan, Mumtaz


Introduction
The Lahore Fort emerged as a Mughals residential paradise along with its defensive characteristics. Therefore, they constructed different purpose buildings to accommodate their various functions accordingly. One of such marvelous addition is S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al, which is translated as "Mirror Palace", constructed by S̲ h̲ āh Jahan between 1631 and 1632. The concept of Mirror Palace is based on the dream of Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved queen of S̲ h̲ āh Jahan (Latif, 1994). S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al is placed in the north western corner of the Lahore Fort. The finest quality mirror work reflects the minute detailing of the dream by the queen. The mirror work embedded precious stones further enhanced the overall ambiance of the space. Most of the original material is lost with the time but still it displays the glorious Mughal era of excellence.
School of Architecture and Planning Volume 4 Issue 2, 2021 S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al front is decorated with a five-arched verandah before entering into the bedroom for Royals. The verandah mirror work is designed to capture all attraction by the glittering effects and the enriched sparkling experience. The bedroom decoration is very unique with star shaped mirrors along with the shining crystals that sparkles even in the dark depicting the dream of the queen (of the night view). The lavishly used invaluable stones include rubies, lapis lazuli, sapphires and emeralds that enriched the mirror work by adding colors to it. The original stones were stolen that's why the synthetic ones are placed during the restoration works.
The raised platform with fountain surrounded by the walkways presents stunning views in the full moon. The mathematics of space planning works on the principle of reflecting the moonlight on the mirrors that creates a wonderful and magnificent scene that envelope everyone in its spectacular aura. This was created to express the love of the emperor for his beloved queen (Munir, 2019).

Decorative Techniques Used in Sh̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al
The salient features of the Shish Mahal are its varied decorations and ventilation systems. This research focused on exploring the aforementioned salient features of the S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al. It also examines the various kinds of decoration techniques used in the construction of the S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ alsince they are considered its defining feature (Nazir, 1998).
As far as the ventilation system of the S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al is concerned, the Mughals very astutely exploited the "climate-responsive architecture" and the "material science" of that era. Small windows supplemented by ja ̅ li work were constructed facing the river, which was also the windward side. The incoming air through the windows used to touch the surface of the river to become moist and cool before entering the building. Additionally, the ja ̅ li acted like a funnel and used to increase the velocity of the incoming air, making the whole building atmospheric and cool.
On the other hand, there was a large compound on the leeward side of the S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al. There the floor is made up of marble, which has a tendency to store energy. The air, present in the compound, upon contact with the floor becomes hot and rises up. It leaves a vacuum behind, which was filled by the air coming from the river side. In this way the ventilation cycle was completed, leaving the building well ventilated throughout the day * .
Previous literature suggests that the incoming air from the windows was also aromatic. This hypothesis is proven by the presence of troughs in front of the windward side windows. It is believed that these troughs were filled with fragrant flowers whose aroma mixed with the air that made the whole space aromatic (Shahzad, 2009).

Research Methodology
This research mainly focused on examining the ornamentation/decorative techniques employed during Mughal Emperor S̲ h̲ āh Jahan's reign. The data was collected through analysis of archival documentation, visual surveys, and historical textural references. The study further explored the precision and skill of decorative techniques used during the golden period of Mughal empire. It was determined that the techniques mainly employed the use of sparkling white marble. Thus, this study is a descriptive research that explored each decorative art used in Sh̲ īs̲ h̲ Maḥal architecture in detail. The data was obtained from all available resources and scrutinized to appreciate * The phenomenon can be understood from the schematic conceptual plan of S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Maḥal attached with the document as Annexure A.
School of Architecture and Planning Volume 4 Issue 2, 2021 the beauty of the ornamentation/decorative techniques employed by Mughal architecture.

Results and Discussions
Generally, Mughal buildings employed elements of Islamic architecture. Eye catching pure white, pale and red sand stone colour was used as contrast against the green vegetation in the background (Lal, 1884).Thus, Mughal architecture needs to be examined in order to appreciate and understand their use of colours and compositions.
Following is the detailed description of various decoration techniques used in S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al located in Lahore Fort.

Pietradura
Pietra dura is a stone carving inlay technique. It is said to originate from Florence, Italy. Pietra dura technique was used to describe sculptural details and to decorate furniture, cameos, vases and panels. Various stones were used for this purpose including malachite, jasper, and lapis lazuli. Pietra dura is an Italian phrase, which means "hard stone". It is usually referred to a stone carving technique in which coloured stones are used to create intricate inlaid pictures.
The stones used for inlay work are silicates such as agates, amethyst, jasper, malachite, topaz, alabaster, jade, lapis lazuli and onyx. Originally the pietra dura art was referred to shaping stones to decorate objects like vases and small sculptures. In order to shape the stone, small saws, wires and other metal instruments were used. The art was revitalized during renaissance by Italian craftsmen. The first hard stone workshop was setup by Medici family in Florence in 1588. The pietra dura technique was not only used in Florence, but it was also practiced in Naples, Madrid, Prague, and Paris. From the late 16 th century, pietra dura was used to inlay stones and create landscape and flower scenes. Unlike the pietra dura of Italy, Indian pietra dura is flatter rather than three dimensional. Mughals adapted the pietra dura with their own variations. The European birds were replaced by local birds like kingfisher, myna, and red breasted parakeet (Baqir, 1952 In the S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Maḥal,pietra dura has been used at the base of the columns and at the inner side spandrels of the multi-foil arches at the entrance hall. Various floral patterns have also been created through the use of this technique.

Figure 1
Pietra-Dura at the Inside of Spandrel of Arch

Figure 2
Pietr-Dura at the Base of Column Various patterns were adopted as shown in (Figure 1 to Figure 8). It can be seen that finesse and sophistication of the highest level was achieved through the use of this technique. This finesse can be seen in the construction of petals that were made up of two tones to show light and dark shades (UNESCO, 2006).
During the construction of the S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Maḥal, various stones from all over India were imported and then carved to perfection to create unmatched patterns using the pietra dura technique. The stones used in S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Maḥal'spietra dura work are shown in Table 1 (Feilden, 1982(Feilden, , 1989.

Figure 5
Pietra-Dura Line Drawing of a Motif

Figure 6
Pietra-Dura Line Drawing of a Motif

Figure 7
Pietra-Dura Line Drawing of a Motif

Figure 8
Pietra-Dura Line Drawing of a Motif Table 1 Stones used in Pietra Dura Work at the S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ ̲ Maḥal, Lahore Fort If we look at the pietra dura work done at the base of columns and at the inside spandrel of arches located at the entrance hall, one difference is very obvious. The pietra dura work at the bases of the columns has been done on a miniature scale, which is the essence of pietradura; whereas, the work done on the spandrel is on a large (stone inlay) scale.
With the passage of time, the pietra dura work has deteriorated. If we look at the pietra dura work at the above mention two sites, then we could see that the work done at the bases of the columns has deteriorated more than the work done at a site which is out of the humanman's reach. There are various causes behind the deterioration. These causes include: 1. Chemistry of the stone (bonding of stone particles) 2. Exposure to sun 3. Acid rains 4. Vandalism 5. Mortar quality Everything tends to decay with time and so is the case withthe stones used for various decorations in the S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Maḥal. This is evident when we look at the stones used in S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Maḥal'spietra dura work. This deterioration varies stone to stone, it mainly depends on their nature, chemistry and physiology. If we look at the stones of different physiology, we shall come to know that stones with coarse grains deteriorate more rapidly than the stones that have fine grains. For example, "turquoise" (local name: sangikhattu) deteriorates more rapidly than "agate". The characteristics of stones depends upon multiple factors such as change in the position of the sun and exposure to rain. The stones exposed to sun face harsh climate and expand and contract rapidly. Due to this reason, the stones exposed to sun light deteriorate more rapidly than the stones used indoors where there is a controlled environment. Similarly, the stones exposed to rain deteriorate more quickly due to the chemical effect of acid rain. The acid is formed in the rain water due to the presence of air pollutants.
Deterioration of pietra dura stones is due to "acid rain" and not due to rain. Rain with a pH value less than 5.6 is termed as acid rain. The rain in Semi-arid regions can be termed as low intensity acid rain as it has pH value ranging from 5.0 to 5.5. The description of acids produced due to pollutants is shown in Table 2. Due to these rains, stones become porous and discolored and peeling of stones. For example, stones such as turquoise (Sang-iKhattu) become rough when exposed to acid rain.
Thus, climate conditions of a region play an important role in the deterioration of stones. In a harsh climatic zone, such as Pakistan, stone expand and contract due to rising temperatures during the day and cooling temperatures at night, respectively. Due to this rapid expansion and contraction, the bonding within the stone gets loose and the stone attains a rough texture. Another factor associated with deterioration of stones is the co-efficient of expansion and contraction of the stone. Stones with high coefficient of expansion and contraction deteriorate more rapidly as compared to the stones with relatively low co-efficient of expansion and contraction.

Fresco Painting
Fresco paintings are also found at the back wall of the entrance hall in the form of panels and on the side chamber's walls. The fresco paintings were created during Sikh rule(Haq, 2018).

Figure 9
Probable Wedding Ceremony of Karishna Offering Garland to Bride with Attendents Holding Umbrella

Figure 10
Meeting of Two Hindu Rajas  The paintings that depict Sikh period are located in the main entrance hall. Additionally, floral patterns have been created using fresco painting in the flanking rooms. Just like pietradura, delicacy in fresco paintings was also observed. Shading was used to create floral patterns since gives the paintings two-dimensional look.

Figure 14
Line Drawing of a Fresco Painting

Figure 15
Line Drawing of a Fresco Painting The ceiling of the flanking rooms is also decorated with fresco painting. It has a beautiful and delicate floral pattern. Blue, green, orange, red and white colour has been used to create beautiful harmony, contrast, and balance. The painting is two dimensional, it still uses light and dark tones for shading.

Stone Carving In-Relief
It is used at the front façade of the entrance hall beneath the base of the columns. In stone carving in-relief, the actual motif has beencarved out of the stone. This work has been done on white marble (Sang-iMarmar).

Figure 17
Line Drawing of a Fresco Painting

Figure 18
Line Drawing of a Fresco Painting

Stone Carving
This technique has been used at the capital of the double columns that are located in the entrance main hall. It has also been done on marble. The capitals of du-decagonal columns have been beautifully carved out in the form of arches in three stepped layers.
Arch is considered the most stable structural element in architecture. Any load that is present at the center of the arch is comfortably shifted to the vertical structural element such as the shaft of the column. Thus, carved arches also have another role to play as they are used as a technique to

Figure 22
Stone Carving at the Capital of Columns

Figure 20
Line Drawing of Stone Carving In-Relief

Figure 21
Stone Carving In-Relief at the Front of Padestal

Figure 23
Blow Up Detail of Figure 22 transfer the load of the heavy super structure to the base through columns. The staggered arches shift the load to the shaft of the column and ultimately to the base (Kipling & Thornton, 2002).

Marble Work
The floor has been decorated with geometric pattern created through marble work. The geometric work looks complex but it is constructed simply by two overlapping squares that overlap each other a Through observation, it was found that different types of stones have been used in the floor, such as Sang-iMarmar, Sang-ikhattu,and Sang-iMusa.Sang-iMusa's been delicately cut to mark the outline of the pattern. The walls of the flanking rooms used Sang-iMarmar having dado finish.

Figure 25
Marble Work Done on Walls in the form of Panels Similar stones such as Sang-iMarmar, Sang-iKhattu,and Sang-iMusa have been used to create the floor pattern of flanking rooms. The stones have been delicately cut to form a floor pattern. Sang-i Musa has been used to form the outline. At the center and side of the flanking room's floor pattern, Sang-i Musa forms an overlapping square pattern.

Stone Fretwork
Fret work in Sang-iMarmar is found in all rooms facing the old river Ravi, which used to flow at the North and North-West side of the S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al. The delicate fret work has been done extensively in the back of the central chamber. All of the three chamber openings are fully filled with beautiful fret work carved in Sang-iMarmar. The central opening has floral and geometric pattern, whereas the flanking openings only have geometric pattern.

Figure 26
Central Opening Marble Fretwork  The openings in the flanking rooms have fret work in stone to the height of eighteen inches. The stones act as a parapet. These openings have geometric patterns (Goulding, 2006).
As the openings are located at the windward side, the fret work in the openings act as a funnel and increase the velocity of the wind that ventilates the space. Even today, one can feel a strong wind current upon entering from the windward side (i.e., Minār-i Pakistan side).

Wooden Fretwork
This type of work is found on the roof of the main entrance hall and the chamber behind it. The fret work has been done on bamboo. Bamboo was used since it is flexible material and can be molded into various geometric patterns. Furthermore, bamboo is resistant against termite attack and is tough against wear and tear caused by extreme weather. The fret work has been covered with lime plaster in such a way that the pattern in fret work stands out against the plaster. Mirror work has been applied over the lime plaster.

Glass Mosaic (ĀI ͗ NAKĀRI)
Glass and mirror work is the main decorative techniques used in the S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al. It has been most extensively used. Shish Mahal is named after the technique employed in the glass and mirror work. Glass mosaic has been used in the form of panels at the entrance main hall and behind the chambers. Various floral patterns and bird patterns have been used for decoration. Floral motifs dominate all other shapes. Coloured glass has been used to create different patterns. The glass has been pressed over wet lime plaster so that it fits delicately in its place. The plaster that comes out of the width between two glasses holds the glass (stucco work) in place. This fine layer of plaster was then gilded with gold.
Various floral patterns that are used in S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al are as follows:

Figure 32
Wooden Fretwork at the Ceiling

Figure 33
Blow Up Detail of Figure 32 Journal of Art Architecture & Built Environment Volume 4 Issue 2, 2021

Figure 37
Pattern of Glass Mosaic

Figure 38
Pattern of Glass Mosaic

Figure 40
Pattern of Glass Mosaic

Figure 41
Pattern of Glass Mosaic

Figure 34
Pattern of Glass Mosaic

Figure 35
Pattern of Glass Mosaic

Figure 36
Pattern of Glass Mosaic

Figure 39
Pattern of Glass Mosaic

Pattern of Glass Mosaic
School of Architecture and Planning Volume 4 Issue 2, 2021 The glass mosaic shown above has sharp colours that stand out against the white surrounding. Another feature of the glass mosaic is that each mosaic is beautifully framed by a border of glass mosaic. Following are some line drawings of various glass mosaic patterns present in S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al.

Figure 43
Line Drawing of Glass Mosaic

Figure 44
Line Drawing of Glass Mosaic

Figure 46
Line Drawing of Glass Mosaic

Figure 47
Line Drawing of Glass Mosaic

Figure 48
Line Drawing of Glass Mosaic

Figure 45
Line Drawing of Glass Mosaic

Mirror and Gilded Stucco Tracery Work
Stucco tracery is different from stucco work, both of which are techniques used in the construction of S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al. In order to appreciate the work done in S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al, it is therefore important to know the difference between them.
In stucco work, wet lime plaster comes out of the gap between two mosaic components This wet lime plaster holds the components in place.
In stucco tracery work, when the wet lime plaster comes out of the gap between the two mosaic components, it is molded to make beautiful floral patterns.
In S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al, beautiful examples of stucco gilded tracery work can be seen. This decorative technique is used in the main entrance hall and the chamber behind the main entrance hall. This work is found at a height that is out of a human man's reach. Beneath gilded stucco tracery work, simple stucco work can be seen. It is believed that gilded stucco tracery work was done in all areas of theS̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al, but with time, it degraded and was unrecognizable. The simple stucco work that we see today is the maintenance carried out by Pakistan's Department of Archaeology in 1970s.
Mirror and gilded stucco tracery work is seen in the main entrance hall. It is blends beautifully with the glass mosaic work. Some examples of this work are as follows:

Figure 53
Mirror and Gilded Stucco Tracery Work  Mirror and gilded stucco tracery work is also used at the ceiling of the main entrance hall.
It is also used at the soffit of the arch that is located behind the entrance hall, this arch is built as a cased opening between entrance hall and the central chamber. The original work was carried out in the reign of Shahjahan.

Figure 57
Mirror and Gilded Stucco Tracery Work   If we try to go to the flanking rooms from the central chamber, we see that the roof is a half dome. In this half dome we find geometric patterned glass mosaic blended with gilded stucco tracery work.  Conclusion S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al was constructed by S̲ h̲ āhJahān in 1631-32. The royal grandeur and magnanimity of the architecture of that time is well depicted in the S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al. The delicacy of the decorative work done in S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al is matchless. The fineness of gilded stucco tracery work is enchanting and gives a glimpse of the Mug ̲ h̲ al's tastein architecture. The colours and contrast have been delicately used in glass mosaic work. The  petals of flowers have beenpainted in double tone to show shade and shadow. Pietra dura has been lavishly used in S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al at the base of the columns and at the inside spandrel of the entrance arches. The stones have been delicately cut to perfection to form beautiful floral patterns. The stones were skillfully cut to show different shades and shadows in the flower patterns. Additionally, it was found that the fresco paintings were painted during the Sikh period. The precision and skill that is the trade mark of Mug ̲ h̲ al aesthetics is absent in the fresco painting found in the S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ al. For example, the sheep and lamb shown in one of the paintings with Karis̲ h̲ na and Rādhaare crudely drawn. The detailed analysis of the decorative techniques used in S̲ h̲ īs̲ h̲ Mah͎ alshows us that there is a deep affiliation between the decorative aesthetics of the building and the Mughals of that era.