A Comparative Study of Dokra Metal Craft Technology

and Harappan Metal Craft Technology

1

Abstract: This paper unfurls the similarity between two technologies in different time and space. Dokra
represents a group of metal articles produced by ‘Cire-Perdue’ or Lost-Wax technique. The technique of
metal casting has managed to survive many centuries and change of dynasties owing to its modesty of
application in everyday lives of ordinary people. Today, with the modernization setting in and the
lifestyle of the tribal’s changing with time, the Dokra metal craft is slowly fading away. The technology of
the Dokra craft is compared with the technology of the Harappan to understand the similarity and
dissimilarity in their technology. Manufacturing process and their challenges have been investigated
through ethno-archaeological survey to understand the similarity between the two technologies and to
trace the change in the craft owing to time.

Keywords: Cire-Perdue, Dokra, Ethno-archaeology, Metal Casting, Craftsmen,

Harappan, Technology

Introduction
The term ‘Dokra’ represents a group of metal articles ---- beautifully shaped and
decorated brass ware products created by the process of ‘Lost-Wax technique’ or ‘Cire-
Perdue’ process. But initially the term dokra was applied to a group of nomadic
craftsmen scattered over West Bengal, Orissa, and Madhya Pradesh (Fig. 1). The
technique of metal casting has managed to survive many centuries and change of
dynasties owing to its modesty of application in everyday lives of ordinary people.
Today, with the modernization setting in and the lifestyle of the tribal’s changing with
time, the Dokra metal craft is slowly fading away. Made by tribal’s, dokra is notable for
its strength and shapeliness of design. Its motifs are mostly drawn from folk culture.

While among the animals, the elephant is most popular, other motifs include human
heads, kings, manas or miniature replica of measures, containers with lids, with or
without locking devices, images of deities like Ganesh and Durga, lamps and lamp
stands. The last was made in several intricate designs in shape of trees and branches
with as many as hundred lamps in one stand. Of late some utilitarian articles like
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nal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 4: 2016

candle stands, ash trays and

d pen
p stands are also being made keeping the ess
essential folk
design intact.

Figure 1: Map showing Dokr

kra Metal Craft practicing places in Indian Sub
ub-continent

The other Kangsaris and metal m workers from different caste guildss w
who have
specialized in mould or diee cas
casting also sometimes use the hammering process
ocess but the
semi-tribal dokras never use se any process other than Lost-Wax casting.. TTraditional
metal ware is produced by casti
casting, forging or shaping (Sen 1994).

In ancient India, the artist was

as also
al the craftsman and the craftsman wass also ththe artist -
--- design and fabrication were
ere not separate. The artist or craftsmen worked
d to
together in
trade guilds under the guid idance of masters and there was no consciou ous effort at
producing anything individual ualized. Varied styles, modes of expression andnd quality of
craftsmanship evolved slow owly in different areas reflecting changing n needs and
traditions (Sen 1994).

Metal working is deeply infus

fused with religion. In fact, before an artisan even
ven begins a
project he prays for guidancece to Tvastram, the son of Visvakarma, who wo worked with
copper, brass, and other metaetal alloys. Even in the household, metals have ave religious
significance, from icons in thet family temples to cooking utensils. Hind ndu religion
forbids the use of copper forr cooking;
c thus in a Hindu kitchen we could find
ind primarily
brass tools, whereas a Muslim
im kitchen would boast mainly tinned copper.

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Aims and Objectives
The aims and objectives of the study:

1. To study an ancient art which give a glimpse of our society’s ancient metallurgy
2. To understand the process of manufacturing of dokra craft
3. To understand any in manufacturing process of dokra craft owing to time
4. To understand the technology of Harappan copper metallurgy as evidenced from
archaeological excavations

Methodology
The methodologies which will be undertaken are summed up as the following:-

1. To review literature for understanding dokra craft

2. To investigate archaeological sources for understanding the technology of
Harappan copper
3. To undertake ethno archaeological survey of the dokra craftsmen
4. An ethno-archaeological study of non-tribal dokra craftsmen

Sources
Ancient Indian texts and oral history provides ample of evidences for studying the
dokra art and artisans. These sources can be enumerated below:

Archaeological Evidence: The famous dancing girl of Mohenjo-Daro, toy carts, bull
and handful of other objects found from the excavations of different Harappan sites in
India provides evidence that the Harappans knew the technology of Lost-Wax
technique or Cire- Perdue Casting (Fig. 2).

Figure 2: Dancing Girl, Indus Civilization

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The technical aspects of the Lost-Wax technique have been discussed at length in three
old Sanskrit texts, in the context of solid or hollow casting of idols.

Mānasollāsa: A 12thcentury text attributed to King Bhulokamalla Somesvara of the

western Chalukya dynasty of Kalyani(Krishnan 1976).

Śilparatna: A 16th century work by Srikumara who wrote it at the instance of King
Devanarayana, ruler of Ambalappuzha (central Kerala). The Uttarbhaga of Śilparatna
(chapter I and II) belonging to the Gupta period also contains valuable information
about image making by both solid and hollow casting techniques (Krishnan 1976).

Mānasollāsa and Mānasāra do not mention anything about the tools used for
modeling. But Śilparatna mentions the use of tamarind wood and bamboo for
preparing tools.

In modern day, the craftsmen use tamarind wood, ebony wood, sandal wood, bamboo,
ivory, metals such as copper, brass and steel for preparing their tools (Krishnan 1976).

Mānasāra: A few selected verses in this text deal with the Lost-Wax process, termed
Madhuchchhist Bidhānam. This text still serves as a practical guide for Sthapatis of
Swamimalai in South India (kochhar 2011). The text advices that wax models should be
made in yellowish colour that being the nearest colour of metals generally used for
statuary except silver. It would thus ensure right modeling and the display of light and
shadow to the final cast. The process of metal casting in the manner described in this
text is still carried out in Nepal and in some parts of South India (kar1952).

As the folklores goes, about three thousand years ago the king of Bastar had assigned a
dokra art necklace for his beloved wife. He was charmed on seeing the necklace.
Witnessing the beauty of the necklace he honored the craftsmen with the title
“Ghadwa’ (Thakore 2010).

The name ‘Ghadwa’ has been derived from the word ‘Ghalna’ meaning melting and
working with the wax. It is also derived from the word ‘Ghadna’ meaning the act of
shaping and creating. They are also known as Vishwakarmars, Ghasias, Mangan and
Kansara in some parts of India (Thakore 2010).

The manufacturing castes has always been regarded as Sudras in the traditional
fourfold social division arising out of the adoption of different occupations by different
sections of the community (Pal 1978). During the Rig Vedic period, the Vaisya class
may have taken to various arts, crafts and industries but from Later Vedic period
society onwards due to rigidity the industrial arts and crafts were practiced by the
artisan class who were looked down as Sudra class. The study of social position of the
craftsmen reveals the fact that the professions of the artisans may be considered as an
honoured one in different ages but their social status has almost remained unchanged
in the traditional caste hierarchy of the Hindu society (Pal 1979).

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History of the Origin of Dokra Art
Dokra craft --- an ancestral craft practiced by the Chitraghasi and Ghasi tribes (Horne
1987). The Dokra Damar tribes are the traditional metal smiths of West Bengal and
their technique of Lost-Wax casting is named after their tribes and hence the name
dokra metal casting. Dokra artisans are considered to be groups of wanderers who are
still practicing the art of metal craft through their age old process. These semi-nomadic
people settled in different tribal zones of India like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa,
West Bengal and parts of Andhra Pradesh. In West Bengal the dokra artisans are found
in the tribal zones of Bankura and Burdwan. Prior to 1940s most of these people settled
in small group outside the agricultural villages and often remain highly mobile to
move from one place to another according to the market demand. They call themselves
of the variants of the same name like Mal, Malar, Maral, Malhor or Mahuli; all of
whom share a common area of origin in the tribal area of Chota Nagpur plateau
(Horne 1987).

An attempt to understand the relationship and history of the dokra makers of west
Bengal suffers from the incomplete and fragmentary nature of the records. No records f
this artisan industry survive from pre-colonial days and the standard documentary
resources such as Risley’s monumental ‘Tribes and Castes of Bengal’ (1891) must be
seen as reflecting both the anthropological fashions of the era and perhaps more
significantly, the “divide et empera” priorities of colonial administration. The colonial
fascination with caste and social taxonomies of the contemporary Indian society was
implemented for the tribals as well (Kochhar, 2011).

Technology
Metal production processes can be divided into following stages (Fig. 3).

Figure 3: Stages of Metal Processing

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The Dokras use lost-wax casting process to cast hollow brass objects and images. Lost
wax is a technique of producing an item in metal by first producing a wax model of the
item and subsequently melting out of the wax to create a mould cavity which is filled
with molten metal.

Though the earliest lost wax castings were produced more than 5000years back in
India, the process was reinvented in 1940’s in the west and renamed as investment
casting (Kissi 2011).

The essence of the process is to model the object in wax, each one individually and in
every detail around a hardened clay core which has approximately the shape of the
object to be cast. Layers of soft, refractory material are laid over the wax model and
hardened into a mould. The wax between the core and the mould is ‘’lost’’ or burnt out
as the mould is heated and then molten metal takes its place and hardens between the
core and the inner surface of the mould which holds a negative impression of the wax
model in all its detail. The outer surface of the hardened metal, therefore, reproduces
the shape and details of the wax model with the core producing the hollow interior.
The hard core and the mould become spongy and soft on firing and are easily
removed.

The technique of casting by Cire-perdue process can be divided into four principal
stages. They are as follows:-

1. Core Making: A clay core is made according to the size of the artefact which is
hardened by sun drying (Fig. 4) a wax model (Fig. 5).
2. Designing: It is an important part
3. Modelling: concerned with the preparation of of Dokra craft. Desired design is
given to the object (Fig.6).
4. Moulding: concerned with the preparation of a clay negative (mould) of the wax
model for casting (Fig.7).
5. Casting: this can be subdivided into a number of process such as i) ascertaining the
ratio of different metals in proportion to the weight of the wax model; ii) draining
out the wax from inside the mould (dewaxing); iii) temperature required for
melting of different metals; iv) casting process; v) releasing the cast from the
mould (devesting) (Fig. 8).
6. Polishing and finishing: concerned with the perfecting of a metal cast (Fig. 9).

Tools and Equipments for Making Dokra Artefacts

The karmokars design simple tools to facilitate their work. They use spatula and knife
for clay modeling, blade for wax modeling, a flat sheet of wood to facilitate in
preparation of thin strands of wax. Hammer to break the mould after firing and a file
to do manual polishing of the artifact. In modern days to save time they use electrical
motors to grind and polish the products.

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 Figure 4: Core making Figure 5: Modelling

Figure 6: Designs in Wax Model Figure 7: Moulding in Dokra Metal Craft

Figure 8: Casting in Dokra Metal Craft

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Figure 9: Tools and Equipments in Dokra metal craft

Harappan Technology
Man learnt technology when he discovered fire. He became the master of technology
when he learnt to control fire; but the real breakthrough was with the advent of metal
technology which was complex and more durable. The earliest civilization practicing
metal technology in the Indian subcontinent was the Harappan. The technique of
alloying was known to them along with the use of native copper.

There is a long journey from native copper to the development of copper-arsenic

alloys. There are advantages over pure copper in terms of castings where the arsenic
acts as a de-oxidant and up to 7 % arsenic material can be work-hardened very
substantially by cold hammering without cracking to strengths equivalent to tin-
bronze. Harappans use both the technique of forging and casting including Cire-
perdueor Lost-Wax method process. Copper metallurgy of the Harappans can be
considered as indigenous growth. But it is enigmatic to note that we cannot trace the
developmental stages of copper metallurgy as it can be traced for the other
civilizations.

o Use of native copper

o Annealing of native copper
o Melting of native copper
o Smelting of oxidized copper ores
o Smelting of sulphide copper ores
o Casting of copper
o Alloying of copper, e.g. bronze, arsenic copper, etc.

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Harappan Furnace
The furnaces employed for smelting of copper ores were simply concave depressions
in the ground.There is evidence that charcoal was used as a fuel. The pits were lined
with clay. A layer of charcoal was probably first placed on the floor of the pits and
ignited. Over this the ore and charcoal in alternate layers might have been arranged
and firing was maintained by means of a forced blast. A temperature around 1000-
1200°C was maintained. At Harappa three types of furnaces have been found: a)
round, b) cylindrical pits dug out into the ground with or without brick lining the brick
lined c) pear shaped pits with or without brick lining. The brick lined ones were
plastered with mud mixed with sand. There is evidence of repeated mud-sand
plastering suggesting their repeated use (Bharadwaj 2000).

It seems that the Harappans used both the primitive bowl furnaces and more evolved
shaft furnaces. The diameter and depth of the Harappan furnaces vary from 3-4 to 8-
6 and 1’-10” to 3’-8” respectively. The mud walls of these run down in pencil
formation. These had vaulted roofs and there looks to be a provision for forcing
draught of air through bellows and these could easily achieve a temperature of 1200°-
1300°C, sufficient to smelt and melt copper (Bharadwaj 2000).

A circular furnace of mud bricks had been found in Lothal which is identified as
copper smith’s workshop area. Vats reported sixteen furnaces which have been
classified in to three categories: (a) pot furnace, (b) cylindrical pit dug in the ground
with or without brick lining, (c) pear-shaped pit dug in the ground with or without
brick lining. According to the excavator (Rao 1979) the third furnace was designed for
the casting of the metal objects (Fig. 10).

Figure 10: Ancient furnace (after Hegde and Ericson 1985)

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Casting Method Used in Harappan Civilization

Casting refers to the manipulation of molten metal. Casting of copper objects of the
Harappans includesopen face and bivalve casting as well as lost wax technique
(Hoffman and Miller 2009). Crucibles used for melting metal were of terracotta. At
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro stone moulds used for casting chisels have been found.
Lothal has also yielded a mould in which copper needles and awls could be cast (Rao
1973).The crucible were made of straw-tempered clay, with a sandy clay coating or
light dusting of quartz sand on the inside surface of at least some of the crucible. Some
of the crucible eventually melted during use. It is not yet clear if any of the crucibles
had side-spouts or spouts of any kind. However, these crucible must have been poured
out by tipping not lifting them, as clay fabric would have been too week to support the
weight of the molten metal (Miller 2001).

Similarity in Harappan Technology and Dokra Technology

The comparative analyses include understanding the similarities and dissimilarities
between both the technologies. The similarities (Table 1) comprises of Lost Wax
technique or Cire-Perdue Casting, hollow casting and small size images were made for
both the craft.

Table 1: Similarity in Harappan Technology and Dokra Technology

Sl. No. Dokra Technology Harappan Technology
01 Lost-Wax Technique or Cire-Perdue Open-face, Bivalve and Lost Wax
Casting Technique or Cire-Perdue Casting
02 Hollow Casting Hollow Casting
03 Small Size Images Small Size Images
04 The style of dokra is in wire style, The style of dokra is in wire style,
the artisan make the wax in wire like the artisan make the wax in wire like
thin wax then he apply on the clay thin wax then he apply on the clay
mould mould

Dissimilarity in Harappan Technology and Dokra Technology

Dissimilarities (Table 2) include the material (Dokra craftsmen used brass while the
Harappans used pure copper or bronze though brass is rarely found). The two
technologies come from different timeframe though they use similar method of
manufacturing. Furnace, crucibles and temperatures are also different thereby giving
uniqueness to the crafts despite some similarity.

Observation
Dokra craftsmen though cultivate a valuable treasure of art they are least recognized as
honorable craftsmen in all other craft communities. Although there is a small but
increasing demand for dokra work from Indian families as well as in the tourist trade,
the craft is threatened with extinction. Therefore, from the above discussion this is clear
that there are striking similarities between the two craft though they are found in

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 Table 2: Dissimilarity in Harappan Technology and Dokra Technology
Sl. Dokra Technology Harappan Technology
No.
01 Brass Pure Copper /Bronze
(rarely brass)
02 4000 years 3000 -1900 B.C
03 Made of bricks Round, Cylindrical pits and Pear
shaped pits

04 Modern Crucible /Channeled Crucible Made of Straw Tempered Clay

05 Spatula and knife for clay modeling, Knives, chisel, axe, adze, etc.
blade for wax modeling, a flat sheet of
wood to facilitate in preparation of
thin strands of wax. Hammer to break
the mould after firing and a file to do
manual polishing of the artefact
06 900ºC - 940ºC 850ºC - 1050ºC

different time and period. At the same time both the crafts mark their uniqueness and
that is reflected from their dissimilarities. Henceforth, one may derive the impression
that similar phenomena may exist in different points of time and space, without having
any genetic connection in between them. Thus, it is high time that we recognize the
need of the hour and help the craft and the craftsmen from dying.

References
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Craddock, P.T., M.J. Hughes (Eds.). 1985. Ancient Indian Copper smelting furnaces. British
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Horne, Lee. 1987. The Brasscasters of Dariapur, West Bengal Artisans In A Changing
World ExpeditionVol 29 No. 3.pp- 39-46
Kar, Chintamani. 1952. Indian Metal Sculptures. London: Alec Tiranti Ltd.
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Sen, P. 1994. Crafts of West Bengal. Ahmedabad: Mapin Publisher.

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BurdwanDistrict West BengalFor DCS MSME’S Design Clinic
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