India is very famous for its fabulous stone sculpture and stone inlay work. Much of the fine marble sculpture and inlay work is done in north India. The Mughal rulers were huge patrons of this type of art, building imposing structures with intricate work like the Taj Mahal and so on.

India, however, was known for stone sculpture and inlay work much before the advent of the Mughal rule. Stone and mosaic sculptures were part of Indian culture many centuries ago and the tradition is kept alive today as well.

The amazing sculpture shown here demonstrates the true genius of ancient Indian artisans. This is a cleverly crafted marble sculpture, having a little tortoise figurine inside a bigger one. The outer tortoise’s scales are hollow, so as to let you see the little tortoise inside. So what is not apparent at a first glance is bound to surprise you when you look closer!