Craft Culture: Bidri and Beyond

‘Bidriware' derives its name from Bidar, a small hilltop city in present day Karnataka. The art is thought to have begun there during the reign of the Bahamani Sultans in the 14th century.

The ancient art of damascening or koftgari, a technique wherein one metal is inlaid into another, was practiced in Turkey, Persia and Arabia. It is believed that followers of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti were connoisseurs of this art and brought it to India from Iran. The Bahamani sultans saw the handiwork and impressed with the skill commissioned the artists to decorate their palaces and courts in Bidar.

The artists joined hands with the local artisans and that is how the first secrets of the trade were learned. The local craftsmen then amalgamated the work with their own distinctive style and a unique art form called Bidriware was born! It was a rich form of art, promoted and nurtured by the Royals. Practicing the art became a family tradition and a community of Bidri artists cultivated and mastered the process for centuries, passed it down through generations.

Bidriware is as much a complex craft as it is a vivid story unfolding in front of our eyes. A seamless work by artisans, the process follows a definitive path from inception to conclusion.

A molten alloy of Zinc and Copper in the ratio of 16:1 is poured into an ordinary soil-mix mould to form a cast. The newly cast piece is then filed and scraped to obtain a smooth surface. This is followed with a coat of copper sulphate solution. The cast, coated temporarily in black, is ready for the next stage!

The craftsman begins with freehand etching using a metal stylus. The cast, held firm onto a vise, is then engraved using ‘kalams' or steel chisels of varied shape and sharpness. While it is hammered and chiseled away, artistic patterns start taking shape. Asharfi-ki-booti, vine creepers, geometric designs, and human figures, stylized poppy plants with flowers, Persian roses and passages from the Holy Quran in Arabic script are some beautiful traditional designs used in Bidriware.

Exceptionally intricate ‘tarkashi' or pure silver inlay, in the form of wire or sheet, is skillfully inlaid in the engravings. It is buffed and polished on a buffing machine. This rids the object of the black coating and a gleaming silvery-white surface, hardly distinguishable from the inlay work, appears.

Lastly comes oxidation or blackening of Bidri. The object, dipped into a heated paste of Bidar soil, ammonium chloride and water, undergoes a magical transformation. Bidar soil, due to its chemical properties, oxidizes zinc alloy, imparting it a dazzling black patina while the silver inlay remains wholly intact. The final Bidri is a lustrous black beauty with lovely silver inlay.

‘Art is never finished, only abandoned’ – Leonardo Da Vinci

With all this history and culture one may think that Bidri art would have been treasured and built upon. Alas! That is not the case. Once revered and patronized by the Mughals and Rajputs, the art has seen a rapid decline over the years. Increasing cost of raw materials, very little to no exposure, and mass produced goods have been eating away into this ancient craft. Bidri workers, practicing this art for generations, are forced to look for work elsewhere owing to a lack of stable income and a dearth of work.

However, with a shift in perspective at a global level and increasing popularity of local arts, Bidriware is finding a new lease of life.

Intervention by institutions, Government bodies and NGOs is helping Bidri art find its way into the modern world. The Bidriware artists themselves are being open to ideas and innovations. Bidriware is diversifying into home and lifestyle products, including USB covers, coasters, lampshades, and even floor tiles, to capture the modern market.