Ask AI: How were dynastic granite vases made

Making dynastic granite vases was a complex and meticulous process that required skill and patience. Here are the general steps: 1. **Selection of Material**: The first step was to find and collect a suitable granite block. This material was chosen because of its durability and aesthetic appeal. The block size was typically larger than the planned finished product to allow room for error and adjustments. 2. **Rough Shaping**: Artisans would then roughly shape the block into the desired vase shape using harder stones or copper tools. 3. **Drilling**: After that, they carefully drilled a hole into the top of the block, and this hole was widened and deepened until a thin wall was left. This drilling was typically done along the grain of the granite to minimize risk of cracking. For hollowing the interior, the craftsmen might have used tubular drills, perhaps made from reeds lined with abrasive sand or emery. 4. **Refinement**: Once the rough shape of the vase was formed, artisans would then refine the shape and surface using abrasives. This was a slow, laborious process often involving sand and water to act as an abrasive, and it got progressively finer as the process continued. 5. **Polishing**: At the end, the surface of the vessel was polished until it became smooth and shiny. This was done with a finer grain abrasive and with the use of a polishing cloth. 6. **Carving**: If the vase was to have inscriptions or decorative elements, these would be carved in the final stages of production and then polished. However, keep in mind that the exact techniques used varied depending on the time period and specific location. The making of granite vases in ancient times remains something of a mystery, as the ability to carve such a hard stone into delicate shapes with the tools available at the time is quite remarkable.

? Dynastic granite vases were made by cutting and polishing the granite rock with abrasives such as sand and water. The cutting process involved using a copper chisel and a stone maul to carve into the granite, which was then shaped and polished to create the desired shape. The entire process was very labor-intensive and took a great deal of skill and precision to create the intricate designs which are found on these artifacts.