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Bidriware, another one of
Aurangabad's
ancient crafts is an art of inlaying silver on black metal. It is believed
that this ancient and eye-catching craft entered India more than 4,000
years ago from the culture-rich Persians, Syrians and Iranians. This metal
craft derives its name from Bidar in
Karnataka ,
the hometown of this exquisite craft.
Bidri craftsmen were patronised in the Mughal courts and settled down to
practice their craft in the fortress town of Bidar in Karnataka, giving
the craft it's name. It originated with the ornamentation of royal swords
and other weapons, and was later applied to domestic use in items like
cigars and cigarette boxes.
Typical Bidri items include plates, bowls, vases, ashtrays, trinket
boxes, "Hukka" bases, jewellery etc. Glass and studded bangles
of Bidri are a favourite with women.
The Method:
Behind the breathtaking beauty of Bidri, lies hours of meticulous effort
by the artisans. The original technique involved the inlaying of gold or
silver on a steel or copper base. This method had its origins in Persia.
However, the metal used for the base today is an alloy of zinc and copper.
The black colour is the result of the heating the zinc and copper surface
gently and applying sal ammoniac with old fort earth. It is engraved or
overlaid with silver or brass. There are four main stages in the
manufacture of Bidri. They are casting, engraving, inlaying and oxidising.
Casting & Engraving:
The
craftsmen cast their own pieces, making moulding clay from sand, resin and
oil in proportion (20:2:1) and add borax to the clay surface to prevent
the metal sticking. Flasks, jugs and vases are usually cast in two
sections divided along the vertical axes. The alloy, the darkened zinc
used as base is described as nine to sixteen part of zinc to one of
copper, is melted and poured into the moulds and solidified.
The surface of the rough cast of the articles is filed and smoothened
with sand paper and then rubbed with a solution of copper sulphate to
impart a dark surface to provide a suitable base for the next stage of
tracing the design and engraving. To engrave the design, wax from
honeycomb and 'Raal' a bonding agent is used. This solution is spread on a
flat stone and the article to be engraved is fixed on it. The design is
traced by hand, with the help of chisels and pure silver wire of 95%
purity is inlaid in the grooves to form designs. There are five different
types of tools used for engraving.
In the ultimate interesting stage, the articles are heated gently and
treated with a solution of sal-ammoniac and earth taken from old fort
buildings, which has the effect of making the entire surface turn jet
black providing a distinct contrast to the shining silver inlay. It is
this contrast that lends Bidri a uniqueness that no other metal ware could
possibly claim. Finally, oil is rubbed on the piece to deepen the black
matt coating. The entire process is done by hand hence, is time consuming.