Featured Craft for the Month

Featured Craft for the Month of August 2007 - Bidri

Bidri is identified as a decorative metal object, ornamneted with a type of indian inlay work made from Tin, Copper, Lead and Zinc and is a traditional handicraft and Bidar in Karnataka is its origin place. This traditional art was introduced by Persians, Syrians and Iranians more than 4000 years ago and its craftsmen were patronized in the mughla courts. This art originated with the ornamentation of royal swords and other weapons and was later applied to domestic use articles like cigar and cigarette boxes.

The astonisging craft and beauty of Bidri requires efforts and highly dedication from the artists. The original Persian method of Bidri involved the inlaying of gold or silver on a steel or copper base. Presently, an alloy of zinc and copper is used as the base metal. Zinc lends a deep black tint to the alloy. This alloy metal base is overlaid with silver or brass. After finshing casting and molding, the surface is filed smooth to lend it the typical Bidri glimmer and shine. It is then temporarily blackened with copper sulphate solution and etched into a traditional pattern using a sharp iron tool. Silver wires and sheets are then beaten into the designed grooves, rendering it with an appearance of the night sky full of twinkling stars. During the final oxidation process, the shiny surface is briefly heated and rubbed with a thick paste of ammonium chloride. The chemical is supposedly mixed with special clay from the walls of the Bidar Fort. The final step of making Bidri ware is using groundnut or coconut oil to polish each Bidri item. Presently, Bidri work is used in making a vase, bangle, bracelet, goblet, ashtray, plate, Jewellery or box.

There are four main stages in the manufacture of Bidri They are
(i) casting
(ii) engraving
(iii) inlaying and
(iv) oxidizing.

The casting of Bidri is done is done in moulds of red clay that is a mixture of wax and resin covering the mould with a coating of red clay superimposed on it. This whole process is supported by stops, which may not be necessary in case of smaller articles. The product is then roughly polished on a lathe.

After the process of casting, the design is made. The design is first drawn freehand and later engraved with a sharp chisel in varying depths. Silver wire or pieces of the sheets are then embedded on the chased patterns. Common salt, saltpeter, copper sulphate and salammonac are the certain chemicals applied to the surface of the vessels, which transforms the color of the metal to jet-black. Bidri work has given artisans much more importance with their versatile designs and fine craftsmanship. Earlier Gold inlay work was as popular as silver but at present only silver is used to make craft more vibrant.

Slight variations in Bidri craftsmanship are the Taikashi or the brass metal wire inlay work, the Taihnishan and the Zamisshan in which the design is deeply cut and the Zar Buland which resembles the encrusted ware of Tanjore, where white designs are cut on the red and yellow ground of copper or brass vessels.

Another type of ornamentation is the Aftabi and Mumabatkari in which the patterns are wrought at slightly raised levels over the surface of the vessel, to look overlaid. Often, more than one style is used on the same article though a combination of Taikashi and Taihnishan is more common. The craft of Bidri is practiced in other places like Purnia in Bhar, Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and Murshidabad in West Bengal. Fish Emblem, water jugs, sailabchi or the washbasins, cosmetics boxes, elaichi-daans, patterns such as Asharfi-ki-booti, vine creepers and stylized poppy plants with flowers are some of the finest outlines of Bidri work.

Bidri is realistic character of Indian art and craft top absorb the latest in craftsmanship in keeping pace with the developments.

Official site of the Office of the Development Commissioner Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles,Government of India.