Chhattisgarh’s famed Bell metal work will be showcased in an International Handicrafts Exhibition in South African capital Johannesburg.
The exhibition is being organised by Development Commissioner, Handicrafts of the Union Government from July 1 to 3 to showcase handicrafts of India’s various states including those of Chhattisgarh. The prime objective of the exhibition is to popularise India’s handicrafts prepared in various states in the global market, according to information received from the Handicrafts Development Board.
Chhattisgarh’s handicrafts are already popular in Italy, France, Canada, Sri lanka and Singapore besides many other countries. As per the information provided in the Chhattisgarh Handicrafts Development Board website, the exquisite dull gold figurines and objects de art are crafted in the Bastar and Raigarh districts of Chhattisgarh out of bell metal, brass, and bronze.
Traditionally the Ghadwas of Bastar and Jharas of Raigarh practice the Dhokra art with lost wax technique or hollow casting. It involves intricately patterning a clay core with wax ribbons and then coating it carefully with a mix of clay and hay.
The was subsequently melted off, and the cavity formed is filled with molten metal. When this solidifies, the craftsman reveals the beauty of his creation by cautiously breaking open the outer clay shell. Inspiration is available to the craftsperson from his abundant environment, be it the village ghotul, myriad of trees, birds and animals, mythology or rituals.
The utilitarian pieces such as combs, lamps, bowls and cups are created for daily use just as mythological icons like Bhuda-deo, Karma jhaar and Mata Jhula are crafted for their spiritual relevance. Each piece is characterized by intricate attention to detail, visible in the jewellery that bedecks the Maria-Muria heads, the elephant’s houda or even in a pot’s geometric lines. Nowhere else in the country does craft pay such obeisance to nature, as in the Dhokra art!
‘Dhokra’ is derived from the ‘Dhokra Damar’ tribe, who traditionally employ the lost wax technique to cast non-ferrous metals. Almost 4,000 years old, one of the earliest examples of this technique is the famous ‘Dancing Girl’ figurine excavated from Mohenjo Daro. Dhokra and Bell Metal are used interchangeably since this metal (an alloy of copper and tin mixed in the ratio 3:1) is commonly used in the process, the website informed.