I stumbled on a beautiful video by Sneha Sarang showing Indian craftsman creating the intricate decorative art called Sadeli mosaic. Used to adorn small boxes in India, the Middle East and Iran, the technique is similar to the way “slice and bake” cookies and European “rock” candy are made.

Narrow triangular strips of wood, metal or plastic are cut using a jig on a table saw:

The strips are gathered into bundles:

sliced:

and applied to a wood backing:

It looks simple but I’m sure it takes many years of practice.