BIDRI – The Starry Night Sky
Posted on October 13, 2008 in Art & Culture by mehreen
The starry night sky! This is the best way to describe the Bidri work. With intricate designs on a black metal background, there no other way to describe this beautiful art form.
Bidri is a very ancient form of art which was introduced in India by the Persian culture that entered India about four thousand years ago. The name ‘Bidri’ comes from the town Bidar (located in the state of Karnataka) which is about 80 miles from Hyderabad city, where this art form was originally practiced.
Basically, Bidri as an art form was brought to India by the Bahamani kingdom from Persia. It is believed that the material used for this work could be found in India and hence it was practiced here and eventually flourished in India only.
It can be said that the various invasions were a blessing in disguise, and India became more and more culturally rich with every invasion. India is probably the luckier than many countries of the world since it has a long history of being ruled by various kings and empires. Bidri is the wonderful gift the Bahamani Dynasty (which was basically Iranian) brought along with it.
The beautiful art form comes alive after a very elaborate and conscientious process. The base metal used is an alloy of copper and zinc. The content of zinc gives the alloy the black color. Different moulds are used to caste the metal into shapes of articles like ashtrays, pots, goblets, pieces of jewellery and many other decorative items. When the base is ready a sharp iron tool is used to engrave intricate and delicate designs which are filled in using silver and gold sheets and wires. These sheets or wires are hammered into the engraved cavities. Various chemicals are used to blacken the base metal further so that the gold and silver becomes brighter.
Even though bidri is originally a Persian form of art, over the centuries, it has been identified with India. Today, bidri is famous all over the world and much sought after in the western countries. It has an ethnic Indian touch to it. A bidri article is sure to add that special Indian ethnic feel to your home.
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