India Craft - Dokra Metal Craft
The word Dokra or Dhokra was used to specify a group of craftsmen of traveling type, scattered over Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradash and were identified by their marvelously fashioned and ornamented metal goods. The craftsmen have later on established in some areas of Bardwan, Bankura and Midapur districts of West Bengal parting their itinerant nature.
The expression Dokra in Bengali is used with disdain for those who are communally stumpy and detested. Of all craftsmen in West Bengal, these metal smiths are generally most mistreated as social outcasts. Consequently they are called Dokras.
Dokra structure of metal casting is said to be oldest form of metal casting and is precisely known as ‘cire perdue’ or lost wax procedure. A duplication of the preferred product is made with wax on a clay center with all its improved particulars of designs and decorations. A small amount of coats of delicately ready clay paste is applied over the replica and dried out in the shadow.
When the wax-image is done it has to be purified with pancha- varna or the five minced pigments. The joints of the constituent parts of the wax model should be toughened with copper rod or nails before being enclosed by the clay mould. These supports may be chiseled off after the wax model melts away in the heat of the furnace.
Dokra castings usually include of home beautification accessories like lamp holders, lamps, chains, and a variety of symbols of ethnic folklore and religion, and beautiful tribal jewelry of tribal Indian designs and patterns. In current years, this eternal tradition of wonderfully fashioned, decorated and handcrafted goods of Dokra artisans are in immense command in domestic and foreign marketplace because of it primeval plainness and enthralling folk motifs. Untutored in recognized institutions, the talent and artistic sagacity of these people are the outcome of the instinctive and intuitive innovative sense evolved over thousands of years.
In current years, the product of Dokra artisans are in immense command in domestic and foreign market because of it primitive simplicity charming folk motifs and powerful form. 57 families are still occupied in the crafts scattered in the districts like Bankura, Birbhum, Burdwan and Midnapur.
Chinese Metal Art Crafts
Metal crafts, which mainly include cloisonné, filigree inlays, variegated copperware, tinwork, iron pictures, golden and silver accessories, etc, play a special role among China's arts and crafts.
Cloisonne
Cloisonne is a kind of enamelware where the design colors are separated by thin metal strips. Its major processes include making a red copper roughcast, forming patterns on it using thin copper strips, filling patterns with different colors, firing, and polishing. Cloisonné integrates bronze and porcelain skills, and traditional painting and etching. It is the pinnacle of traditional Chinese handicrafts.
During the Qianlong reign (1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when pure copper was used as a roughcast, the art of cloisonné reached its pinnacle.
Cloisonnefirst originated in Beijing. The earliest piece of cloisonne was made in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), while the best examples were produced during the Xuande reign (1426-1456) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). During the Jingtai reign (1426-1456) of the Ming, handicraftsmen found a dark blue enamel that gave cloisonné a gorgeous, solemn appeal, which is still used today.
During the Qianlong reign (1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when pure copper was used as a roughcast, the art of cloisonné reached its pinnacle.
Beijingers still like to decorate their homes with cloisonnearticles and young women adore cloisonné bracelets and earrings. Cloisonné articles also make great gifts.People are attracted to its beauty and glittering thin copper strips.
In Beijing, most hotel shops and tourist stores sell cloisonné articles, which can be as big as sacrificial utensils, screens, tables and chairs, or as small as chopsticks, earrings, candy boxes, toothpicks and smoking paraphernalia. They are works of art with a practical value. Recently, handicraftsmen have developed a multi-coloring technique to make cloisonné , which has resulted in more refined and gorgeous products.
** The Process
As one of the famous arts and crafts of Beijing, cloisonné is a form of famous traditional enamelware with a history of over 500 years. The making of cloisonné involves an elaborate and complex process, which includes base-hammering, copper-strip inlays, soldering, enamel filling, enamel firing, polishing and gilding.
Base hammering is the first step in the making of cloisonné. The material used for the body is copper because copper is very malleable and ductile. This step requires sound judgment in the shaping and uniformity of thickness and weight. It is, in fact, much like the work of a coppersmith. The only difference is that when an article is shaped, the coppersmith's work is finished, whereas the cloisonné craftsman's work has just begun.
The second step is filigree soldering. This step requires great care and high creativity. The artisan pastes copper strips to the body that are 1/16 of an inch in diameter and a desired length chosen by the artisan, making up a complex but complete pattern. The artisan creates a blueprint in his or her mind and makes full use of his/her experience, imagination and aesthetic perspective in setting the copper strips on the body.
The third step is applying color, which is known as enamel filling. The color is like the glaze on ceramics and is called "enamel". Its basic elements are boric acid, saltpeter and alkaline. Due to the differences in the added minerals, the colors differ accordingly. Usually, iron will turn gray; uranium, yellow; chromium, green; zinc, white; bronze, blue; and gold or iodine, red. The colors are ground into powder and deposited into the cells separated by filigree.
The fourth step is enamel firing, which is achieved by putting the article with its enamel filling into a kiln. Soon after, the copper body turns red, but after firing, the enamel in the little compartments will sag slightly, which will require re-filling. This process will go on repeatedly until the little cells are full.
The fifth step is polishing, which begins with emery. Polishing aims to even out the filigree and the filled compartments. The whole piece is again put into the fire and then polished once more with a whet-stone. Finally, a piece of hard carbon is used to polish the article a final time to obtain some luster on the surface.
The sixth step is gilding, which is done by placing the article in gold or silver fluid, charged with an electric current. The exposed parts of the filigree and the metal fringes of the article will again undergo another electroplating and a slight polishing.
African Metal Sculpture - Home Decoration
