Includes bibliographical references (p. 255) and index.

Introduction -- Repeat patterns -- Borders and bands -- Single motifs and panels -- Ornamental scenes -- Acknowledgments -- Bibliography -- Index -- About the author.

This innovative volume reveals the exquisite detail of the decorative compositions, their finesse, precision, and creativity. It also highlights the skill, patience, and pictorial imagination of the many thousands of craftsmen and their patrons.The timeline runs for almost two thousand years, from the Buddhist stupa at Sanchi of the first century BC/AD to Rajput palace interiors of c. 1900. Hundreds of atmospheric photographs are juxtaposed with graphic transpositions of the designs, patterns, and ornamentation to reveal the nature of the architectural detail, where stone, wood, mirror work, and plaster are transformed into masterworks of decorative art.