Some 4,500 years ago, a metal sculptor in Mohenjo-daro—during the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation—created the iconic statue of the ‘dancing girl’ using lost-wax technique. This metal-casting tradition has been kept alive in a small village named Kondagaon in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. The Baghels—belonging to the Ghadawa community, which has practised the art down generations—craft these pieces inspired by the elements of nature—such as phool (flower), patti (leaves) and janwar (animal). The socio-cultural narratives that craftsmen see and hear around them are beautifully sculpted using natural mediums.
Last month, the community showcased the bell-metal art form at the Surajkund Mela in Faridabad, Haryana. Earlier, their exhibits were displayed at the Moscow State Museum of Oriental Art at an exhibition titled ‘Dhokra: the Heavenly and the Earthly in the Traditional Bronze of Indian Tribes’, which had items from journalist Sergey Karmalito’s personal collections from across India.
Dhokra brass items are known for their primitive simplicity, enchanting folk motifs, intricate details and exquisite form. National Award-winning craftsman Rajendra Baghel says, “Traditionally, our ancestors made Dhokra pieces of daily use and sold them at the local haat. One of our forefathers—Navalram—first arrived here from the Abujhmar hills, with his young bride, after travelling through the jungles. They cleared a small patch of forest land, made a home, built a furnace and began making Dhokra products. Ever since men and women of our family have worked collectively on it every day as is the custom.”
The products’ mesmerising intrinsic starkness, vitality and earthly appeal kept alive through unbroken tradition has helped them pass the test of time. “Excavations in central India during the last 60 years have found sculptures dating back to 2500 BC, wherein the motifs, jewellery, bouffant hairstyle and the form of the figures reveal similarities with the sculptures made by our community. This dates our tradition to the ancient age of Mohenjodaro,” says the artist, about the GI-tagged artform.
“Dhokra sculptures are known for their exclusivity. No two products can ever be alike,” explains Rajendra. This non-ferrous metal craft uses the cire perdue or the lost-wax technique. The artefacts are also unique as the pieces do not have any joints. The 12-step process is painstakingly complex. The artisans first create a clay core roughly in the shape of the final sculpture, which is then covered by a layer composed of pure beeswax, tree raisins and oil. The wax is applied in an even layer, and thin strips of it are used to decorate in fine detail. The quality of wax-detailing ascertains the excellence of the final product.
“The finished piece is covered with layers of clay, sourced from termite mounds, which withstand high heat. This layer acts as a mould for the metal to be poured inside. The piece is then baked in a special furnace under extremely high temperatures. Drain ducts are left in the outward layer for the wax to fall out. The wax melts away, leaving a cavity into which hot molten metal is poured,” explains Rajendra.
Dhokra artisans of Bastar use scrap metal, with lustrous brass scrap as the largest component. The liquid metal hardens in the space between the clay core and inner surface of the mould replacing the melted wax, taking the exact same shape. The mould is then allowed to cool and the outer layer of clay is chipped off. The Dhokra product is polished, scraped and finished manually.
Even though the Dhokra artisans have been operating between the inherently rigid technological framework provided by tradition, their art form has not remained stagnant. Continuity is sustained better when embedded in change. “Over the years, we have responded to change with newer forms of motifs and contemporary designs,” says Rajendra. Among the popular themes are sculptures of gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon, animal figurines, dainty jewellery designs, and a wide range of home decor items. The price range begins at Rs 150 and goes up to Rs 15 lakh,” says Rajendra. The Baghel
family has trained thousands of people in the craft, including students of prestigious art colleges as well as local tribal men and women, thus providing them with employment opportunities.
The technique is practised in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Telangana, with each artisan community having a distinct style and workmanship. “The speciality of Bastar Dhokra is that their sculptures can be up to 15-ft-tall, as against the standard ones that go up to four feet. Besides, the use of traditional tribal motifs makes Bastar Dhokra stand out,” Rajendra waxes eloquent.