Bell
Metal |
Bidri | Brass Ware| Bronze
Sculpture| Dhokra Casting |
Iron Craft | Metal Ware
Bell
Metal
Bell metal is one of
the most attractive of bright metals, that delights one with its natural
polish. It is the glint of a mellow gold and a soft surface. Though bell
metal traditions are followed in a number of States, the most
outstanding forms and practically the fancy of collectors, arrive from
Kerala. The Kasargod. Interestingly, the craft emerged to the forefront,
rising with the patronage it received from royal courts and temples,
where huge cauldrons and open mouthed cooking vessels were crafted. It
was this background, that gave the bell metal ware of Kerala a classical
dignity. But where traditional and formal utensils were crafted, the
bell metal caster delved in simpler and at times ornate designs. He
prepared jewel boxes, jars, boxes an oil cans all of which had their
particular embellishments. The craft item of greatest popularity was
multi-tiered stand lamps. The lamps are even today used for ceremonial
purpose. These are crested with peacock, eagle or swan forms. Ceiling
lamps Hugh from metal chains and known as changalavatta or Greek lamps
fascinate with their ornate qualityu. The crafts persons from here also
crafts large shallow bowls in simpler but perfect hemispherical forms
through the lost wax technique. Some of these bowls reach up to six feet
in diameter and one formed part of utensils used for feudal distress and
temple offerings.
Bidri
One form of craft that
has found a new home in the exchange of cultures that India has seen, is
Bidriware. Bidriware could well be called metal-artware because of its
fine display of decorated technique. The craft came into the country
around the 14th century A.D. with the caravans that included warriors
and Bidri crafspersons. They introduced the fine mixture of metals that
give us the basic metal used in this craft. Upon this alloy, artistic
designed in pure silver are inlaid. The craftpersons of old settled in
Bidar in Karnataka, which led to this craft being named Bidri ware.
The beauty of the
crafts lies in the fact that each piece of Bidriware is cast separately.
A mould of the craf is prepared with ordinary soil, making it malleable
with castor oil and resin. Then the alloy made of zine and copper is
melted and poured into it. Once formed, the cast piece is given its fine
shape with the help of files and scrapers. The metal is then polished
with a piece of copper sulphate. it is this that brings a black cover on
the craft piece. the selected design is finally etched on the item with
free hand. a sharp stylus is used for this. with a fine chisel, groves
of the design are drawn out. it is in these fine groves that beaten
silver threads are hammered. once complete the item is rigorously filed.
smoothed, buffed and polishes.
Brass
Ware
The brilliance of brass
has always fascinated man. and once his need for tools and utilities
were fulfilled, the turned to metal for decorated craft. they worked on
two levels of craft work.:decorative craft nd the object of household
use. the best known brassware in Gujarat comes from jamnagarm, wadhwan,
visnagar and Sihor. The form of a lady with a lamp, known as
deepa-lakshmi is a famous item. other forms are of brass lamps having
multiple miniature bowls and handles in the shape of peacock, elephant,
snakes, temple bells and drum. the craft is made delightful with a great
variety of designs made on them.
Bronze
Sculpture
Copper and bronze were
perhaps the earliest of non ferrous metals that man shaped into tools
and items of decoration. Bronze casting methods as given in matsyapurana
show how old the tradition is. This can also be seen from the finding of
Taxila. The earliest literary reference to the art of Bronze casting was
found in the Tamil classic named Silappathikaram. One branch of this
tradition that celebrates religious images flour shed to excellence as
can be seen in the metal sculptures of South India. The icons are living
images of and ancient cultural tradition that were cast as per
instructions given in special scriptures named shilpa shastra. The
artisans who practiced in this genre were known as sthapathis, literally
meaning icon makes. The icons are still made in the old yet icons were
made with an alloy of panchaloha comprising copper , brass, lead, sliver
and glod. However, the prohibitive cost of gold and silver has today
forced the craftsmen to use an alloy of copper, zine and lead.
The Sthapathis are
today based in Madural , Karaikudi, Sriviliputtur, Chidambaram and
Swamimalai where their forefathers saw the zenith of their skills under
the patronage of the Chola and Palava rulers of the 13-14th century AD .
today Swamimalai is the most renewed center for bronze icon craft. It
was from here that the world famous Nataraja emerged. Shiva in numerous
forms along with Paravathi forms images now reserved in museums, have
deigned the cowherd shiva, the Kalayan Sundaram Shiva and Paravati for
the connoisseurs of this craft.
Dhokra
Casting
A fascinating crafts
tradition that has flourished in the tribal belts of central and Eastern
India., is Dhokra casting. the craft gets its name form the metal smiths
who are called Dhokras. an interesting fact about this tradition is,
that though it is centuries old, it is difficult to pin point the rise
of the craft. Metal casting in tribal belts of the country has always
been passed onion families by word of month. by nature, the crafts men
of this genera were nomadic. they visit region after region, to craft
items of everyday use and rituals, casting each item in the form and
with motifs that are in Orissa. West Bengal, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh,
is distinctive to every region.
The dhokra casting of
Madhya Pradesh fascinate with its designing of local deletes animals
forms and birds. A favorite theme in design is the Bastar ki Mata
Dhanteshwari Devi, the enlarged form of which can be seen as the welcome
Gate form in the Mela grounds. Other favourite figure of craft is Rao
Dev, a mythical rider who guards the village by night. Locals believe,
that the lighting in the sky, is the crack of his whip. the form is
popular, for farmers of this community offer sacrifices to this delete
at the boundary of their corn fields. the dhokra casting of Madhya
Pradesh is distinguished by the fine ornamentation done by the
craftsmen. the fine and thin form , the rare fascination. other areas in
Madhya Pradesh where the craft is practiced are Bundelkhand , Raigarh
Jagdalpur and Alwaye.
Iron
Craft
The use of iron in
India has an ancient history. Our earliest literature- the Vedas, give
instructions on tempering it to make steel. The iron in India has an
ancient history . ur earliest literature- the Vedas give instructions on
temperting it to make stell. The iron beams of the Konark Sun Temple and
the itron Pillar at the Qutab Minar stand testimony to the durability of
iron works in this country. The tradition continues in various parts of
the country, the black smith of Chattisgarh in Madhya Pradesh consider
themselves the descendants of Vishwakarma. But the black smiths of
Bastar do not follow this teaching. They call themselves lohars . they
work with iron, beating, heating and hammering it into a fascinating
assortment of tools and implements for domestic use. But this lohar of
Bastar is comfortable and infect equally excellent in producing
attractive lamps with exquisite designs ornaments on them. These lamps
are used in ritualistic prayer and at marriage ceremonies. The capacity
to fashion objects out of metal-sheets hammered to the required shape
and joined together by dovetailing and soldering demands the vision,
conception and sensitivity pf a sculptor . one finds these in ample
measure in the crafts from Bastar in Madhya Pradesh, where the craftman
decorates his even human forms bells and metal tassels.
Metal
Ware
The Tamtas or metal
casters of the hilly regions of North West Uttar Pradesh have for
centuries practiced metal craft. Hidden in their hilly homes, they have
been making utensils of different kinds for domestic usage and
ritualistic prayer. The continuous demand has erected the Tamtas art of
utensils making and its ornaments. The beauty of the craft lies in the
use of copper and brass to make a utensil. Locals call this blend of
metals the Ganga-Jamuni style, in which the article is prepared with
pieces of both copper and brass, at times touched off with the uise of
German silver. A special item of this tradition is the water pitcher or
Kalasi. This object is a valued gift in the region and usually exchanged
on occasions like weddings. Other items made under this tradition are
bowl, vases, trays and boxes.
