Dokra - An Old Heritage

BRUSH METAL HANDICRAFT

Dokra Handicraft is the art of graceful metal casting and is one of India’s prehistoric art forms mostly seen in the Bankura-Dariapur belt in West Bengal, parts of Madhya Pradesh. Dokra Handicraft  is one of this area’s most popular home decor items.

A non-ferrous metal casting using the lost-wax casting technique, the Dokra Handicraft used for over 4,000 years in India. One of the oldest Dokra artifacts is the dancing girl of Mohenjo-Daro. Dokra artisans create a string of folk motifs like horses, elephants, peacocks, owls, etc.

The term “Dokra” was coming from the Dokra Damar tribes, the traditional metalsmiths from West Bengal and Odisha. Since the original craft makers of Dokra Handicraft extend across many parts of India including Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Kerala, the Dokra Handicraft is also found all over the country today! This ancient Dokra Handicraft art form has been known to the people of India since the Indus Valley Civilization.

Dokra Handicraft art is one of the oldest artworks in India from being used as measuring bowls, religious deities, and lamps to expensive decorative items Dokra Handicraft has come a long way. Even though being immensely popular many Dokra artists are underpaid & unemployed. So why not in this new year buy a Dokra Handicraft Showpiece as a housewarming gift for your brother-in-law so that your sisters & brothers from Odisha can go to school? Your home deserves a dokra handicraft showpiece, so add this to your bucket list.

Dokra Metal Handicraft/Art/Showpiece :

Dokra Metal Handicraft/art/ showpiece is essentially stunning metal figurines fashioned from bronze and copper-based alloys using a ‘lost wax casting’ known as ‘cire perdue’ in French. After designing the core it is dried in the sun & then given a coat of wax for the thickness of the clay and all of the design intricacies are carved onto this clay layer. After this clay layer dries, numerous clay layers are subsequently added and dried till the mould is hard and thick enough. Once the wax has been drained off, the molten metal is poured into the cavity through multiple channels left to take the shape. When the metal has cooled off and dried, the clay mould is broken off into two or three equal pieces and the metal artefact is revealed. Because the mould is broken, no two Dokra art pieces can ever look the same. In the final step to enhance the color application of various chemicals are done.

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FAQ's

Dhokra masks are one of the best wall decor for any home.

Yes, traditional dhokra handicraft statues are the perfect gift for any home.

Even though the dhokra handicraft art showpiece is a little heavy & can have edges due to design but definitely safe for your kids.

The basic materials for Dhokra are mainly brass.

Dhokra arts do have little weight but they are not very heavy.

No.

No there is absolutely no chance of color fading.

Thank you for asking this question. All handicrafts are packed very carefully before delivery. But just keep this mind that Dhokra arts are quite hardy enough, containing very less chance of damage.