Metalware

The Dokra or Dhokra group of tribal craftsmen who range through the landscapes of Bengal, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh give us a timeless heritage of beautifully shaped and ornamented products of cast metals. The Bikna group of Dokra artisans of Bankura and the Dariapur group of Burdwan, were rehabilitated in the sixties. There are similar concentrations at Kharagpur in Midnapore and Malda.

It is one of the most popular forms of art practiced in Bengal, named after the people who practiced it. It is actually the art of creating statues, jewelries, idols and many other decorative pieces, with the help of clay, wax and molten metal. The best part about Dokra metal crafts is that they are completely original and no replica of any item can ever be made.

In Filigree work, twisted silver wire is the material, and the articles have the trellis-like appearance of jali which endows them with rare charm. Silver-wax is widely used for making ritualistic objects. Silver-filigree is a style by itself which Cuttack in Orissa and Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh produce in Puru metal. For this, pure-silver ingots are put through a wire-drawing machine. In the pre-machine days the ingots were beaten on an anvil and elongated into a long wire by passing it through a steelplate - wiregauge.

Pembarthi village in Warangal District of Andhra Pradesh, about 100 kms from Hyderabad, is the hometown of this art.

The village is famed worldwide for its unmatched brassware tradition. This meticulous brass work art flourished during the reign of Kakatiyas empire.

During the Kakatiya rule, sheet metal work adorned the chariots of the kings and noblemen and the idols of the Gods. With the increasing number of temples during the Kakatiya rule the Pembarthi sheet metal work reached the peak of its popularity.

This craft belongs to the the city of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. It basically involves silver inlay on metal, which is very exquisite. There are many legends related to its entry and exit into the country and then to Andhra Pradesh.

Pembarti, a small village of Andhra Pradesh in Warangal District is known for its brass ware. They make statues depicting characters from Hindu mythology, pots, carvings etc. in bronze and brass. Mostly cast figures are hand crafted not machine made. Brass ware is also made in Tirupati, Warangal.

The famous bronze idols were based on the verses from the Shilpashastra. These verses were called dhyana. These verses instruct the craftsmen about the physical measurements, proportions, description of the deity, characteristics, symbolism and above all, aesthetics.

Andhra Pradesh has been known world-wide for its amazing Bronze castings. These castings require special skills to create incredible idols. The craftsmen are required to study details of the 'Shilpashastra'. The aesthetics of the idols are made by their physical measurements, proportions, description of the deity, characteristics and symbolism. While exercising solid casting of icons, the mould is prepared by several coatings of different clay on a finished wax model. This process provides the fine curves to the cast-image.

The Budithi Brassware originated from a small village called Budithi in central Srikakulam, a district in Andhra Pradesh. This place is famous for creating beautiful shapes out of alloys. These shapes are also available in modern as well as antique style.