Introduction To Dhokra Art

Introduction To Dhokra Art


The word Dhokra is generally believed to be derived from the word Dhokna, which means To cast. Dhokra art is a non-ferrous metal casting using the lost-wax technique. This sort of metal casting has been used for over 4000 years and is still in use today. The earliest known lost wax artifact is the Dancing girl of Mohenjo-Daro which was created between 4400-3700 years ago. Another Ancient book Vishnu Samhita written in 5th Century AD mentions that If an image has to be made, it must be made of wax first this text is referring to the lost wax casting technique which has been popular even 1500 years ago.  

Dhokra Art is essentially stunning metal figurines fashioned from copper and Bronze based alloys, using lost wax casting. There are several processes involved in the making of Dhokra Art and the figurines are made of a single metal piece. The metal used is also known as Bell Metal for the bell-like sound it creates.

The process of Dhokra art is very tedious and time-taking as it requires an effort of weeks to create a single piece. After the casting is finished and the outer clay mold is broken until then it is unknown how the final piece will turn out to be. To create a single piece of Dhokra Craft at first a smaller than the desired artifact is created using a clay model which is then left to dry in the sun. The clay model is then coated with wax and then coated with multiple layers of different clays and dried till the mold is hard enough to be heated in order for the wax layer to melt and evaporate. Once the wax is gone then the molten metal is poured into the cavity in order for the metal to take shape in the cavity formed by lost wax. Once the metal is cooled off and dried clay mold is broken off to reveal the metal artifact.

The artifact is formed by molten metal hence there is not a single joint in them. Due to the process involved in formation in Dhokra art with lost wax technique, no two art pieces can ever look the same. For this reason, every single artifact is unique and one of a kind. The beauty of Dhokra Art is also resistant to corrosion and casting without any joints which makes them easier to pass down for generations to come.