Previous Year Question
The work of Pietra Dura, or the inlaying of coloured stones on marble, became very popular during the reign of ______.
A.
Aurangzeb
B.
Akbar
C.
Shah Jahan
D.
None of these
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Pietra Dura is the decorative technique of inlaying coloured precious and semi-precious stones into marble. The technique reached a highly refined and extensive form in Mughal architecture during the reign of Shah Jahan, with the Taj Mahal being its most celebrated example.
Important Fact: Pietra Dura was not introduced for the first time by Shah Jahan. The Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah at Agra, built during Jahangir's period, is regarded as an earlier major Mughal example of the technique. Under Shah Jahan, however, its use became much more elaborate and prominent.