Metal items are known to be durable and longer-lasting and that could be the reason why metal (brass, bidri) handicrafts flourished and burgeoned so well through the ages.
Behat, a subdistrict of Saharanpur is well known for its metal handicraft items. They have speciality in antique and uniquely designs doors and windows, tables with cast iron jaalis, chairs, side-boards, swings, wind chimes, bells and wall panels.
Bidriware is a metal handicraft that originated in Bidar, Karnataka.
The term Bidriware originates from the township of Bidar, which is still the chief centre of the unique metal ware? It is a form of encrusted metal ware, where one metal is inlaid on to another. Bidri products include a diverse range of objects including hukka bases, bowls, boxes, candle stands, trays, jewellery and buttons.
The craft contains complicated sequences of metal inlay on a zinc and tin alloy base. Bidri has its roots in the Persian technique of inlaying gold and silver on steel or copper. It travelled from Iran to Ajmer in Rajasthan in the 13th century AD, and from there to Bijapur and flourished during the reign of the Deccan Sultanate.
Main clusters: The art is mainly practiced in Bidar in Karnataka and Hyderabad in
Andhra Pradesh. Apart from these, it is also practiced in Aurangabad district in the state of Maharashtra and Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.
Supplier: Miniature paintings, bidri boxes with paintings on top, silver (filigree) boxes with paintings on top, greeting cards, and almost most of the items in handicrafts
The metal crafts of India display intricate craftsmanship and fine art in shaping gold, silver, brass, copper into exquisite designed images, idols, jewellery, and utility items. Different categories of handicrafts that come under metal ware are brass metal ware of Moradabad, metal bidri work and bell metal in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and so on. India is the largest brassware producer in the world. Moradabad cluster alone reports ~INR2, 500 crore annual turnover of brassware.
Main clusters:
Major clusters of metal ware are Brassware: Moradabad, Murshidabad, Madurai, Salem, Cuttack and Haryana. Whereas, major centres of bell metal ware are Salem, Cuttack, Murshidabad, and Tiruchirappalli.
Moradabad cluster has 850 export units and 25,000 metal craft industrial units, and is said to house ~29% of the metalwork- artisans in India73.
Bell metal consists of copper, zinc, tin, iron and mercury. Acid.
Basic tools required for making brassware include oven, lathe, hammer, tongs, pincers, files, scrapers, hand operated drill, chisel, vessels, crucible, wax, mallet, hand blower, buffing machine, etc
