Dhokra
(also spelt
Dokra
) is non
–
ferrous metal casting using the
lost-wax casting
technique. This sort of metal casting has been used in
India
for over 4,000 years and is still used. One of the earliest known lost wax artefacts is the
dancing girl
of
Mohenjo-daro
.
[1]
The product of dhokra artisans are in great demand in domestic and foreign markets because of primitive simplicity, enchanting folk motifs and forceful form. Dhokra horses, elephants, peacocks, owls, religious images, measuringbowls, and lamp caskets etc., are highly appreciated.
[2]
The lost wax technique for casting of copper based alloys has also been found in
China
,
Egypt
,
Malaysia
,
Nigeria
,
Central America
, and other places.
The process
There are two main processes of lost wax casting: solid casting and hollow casting. While the former is predominant in the
south of India
the latter is more common in Central and
Eastern India
. Solid casting does not use a clay
core
but instead a solid piece of wax to create the mould; hollow casting is the more traditional method and uses the clay core.
[1]
The first task in the lost wax hollow casting process consists of developing a clay core which is roughly the shape of the final cast image. Next, the clay core is covered by a layer of wax composed of pure
beeswax
,
resin
from the tree
Damara orientalis
(more properly
Agathis dammara
), and
nut oil
. The wax is then shaped and carved in all its finer details of design and decorations. It is then covered with layers of clay, which takes the negative form of the wax on the inside, thus becoming a mould for the metal that will be poured inside it. Drain ducts are left for the wax, which melts away when the clay is cooked. The wax is then replaced by the molten metal, often using brass scrap as basic raw material. The liquid metal poured in hardens between the core and the inner surface of the mould. The metal fills the mould and takes the same shape as the wax. The outer layer of clay is then chipped off and the metal icon is polished and finished as desired.
[1]
[3]
The name
Dhokra Damar tribes are the main traditional
metalsmiths
of
West Bengal
and
Odisha
. Their technique of lost wax casting is named after their tribe, hence Dhokra metal casting. The tribe extends from
Jharkhand
to West Bengal and
Odisha
; members are distant cousins of the
Chhattisgarh
Dhokras. A few hundred years ago, the Dhokras of Central and Eastern India traveled south as far as
Kerala
and north as far as
Rajasthan
and hence are now found
all over India
. Dhokra, or Dokra from
Dwariapur
and
Bikna
, West Bengal, is extremely popular. Recently
Adilabad
Dokra
from
Telangana
got Geographical Indicator tag in 2018.