Indian Table Top with Mother of Pearl Inlay

Squares inside squares, all of them catching the light.

This table top with mother of pearl inlay comes from Rajasthan, India, and is contemporary. Mother of pearl inlay has a long history in India, where shell pieces are cut, fitted and polished into flat, shimmering surfaces. Small rectangular tiles of shell are laid in concentric squares that step inward toward the center, with diagonal seams running from each corner. The tiles shift between pearly white, cream and soft gray, with the occasional pink or green glint. The edges are clean and square. It is 21 inches long, 21 deep and 0.75 high.

A flat surface with no interest in staying quiet.