West Bengal is the home to Dhokra Kamar tribes, who are the traditional
metalsmiths. They follow
a technique of metal casting known as Dhokra,
named after the tribe. A look at these artefacts
makes you believe that they have been made
out of a single piece of wire wound around
a piece of clay. But that is not the case.
The object is cast in metal, using what
is known as the lost- wax technique. The
artefacts are ritual objects and their themes
are mostly animals, jewellery, and icons
of gods and goddesses. The Dhokras make
many varieties of diyas (lamps) that are
both single and multiple. Some of the lamps
are mounted on elephant back.
The lost-wax technique is not confined
to India only. Evidence of this kind of
casting of copper based alloys has been
found in China, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria,
and some areas of Central America too.
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