Metal Engraving and Damascening of Rajasthan

Metal Engraving and Damascening of Rajasthan
The craftsmen of Rajasthan have always shown an exceptional skill in engraving, chasing and ornamenting of gold and silver articles of everyday and decorative use, along with weaponry, in areas such as Jaipur, Udaipur and Alwar. This metalwork comprises of artistic brass work, enameled, engraved and filigree work on silver, along with Damescening and Koftgiri. These craftsmen of the Soni or goldsmith community engrave sheets of metal that are used to encase furniture constructed out of teak, haldu, mango and sagwan woods. While earlier only silver was used, it is now getting replaced with white or yellow metal, because of cost effectiveness. Earlier, the sheet metal was hand-engraved or ornamented with Meenakari also. In a bid to get cost effective products, nowadays, the cut strips
of metal sheet are usually embossed with dyes and embellished with plastic Meenakari. This metal sheet is then fitted onto the wooden frame of the object and glued on with a synthetic rubber-based adhesive, pressed into position and dried; the ends are nailed as further reinforcement, and then given an antique finish. Damascening is the inlay of gold and silver wire on iron objects. This was traditionally practiced by the Siklikars to create weaponry for their Rajput masters and warriors. In this process, the surface of the metal object to be ornamented is evenly scratched to create a rough, finely lined surface, heated on a stove until red hot and then allowed to cool naturally. The object is clamped in a vice and the process of embedding wire into the metal is begun-silver or gold wire is laid on the abraded metallic surface and pressed; the wire is further flattened with the aid of opni or moonstone. Larger areas such as the tip of the dagger are executed in silver or gold leaf. With the decline of the feudal lifestyle the craft that catered to the functional requirement of the damascened products came to a close. Koftagiri is a form of Damascening, an ancient art wherein one metal is encrusted onto another either in the form of wires or small pieces. Originally gold and silver were done on iron and steel defense items. Originally used by the Gadia Lohars, the traditional armourers of Rajasthan, to create a range of weaponry and armour for the use of their Rajput clientele. Nowadays, these objects are now seen only on the occasion of Dussehra when each family takes its collection of arms to a temple so that these may be consecrated. Although elite houses of the region still commission the occasional coat of arms and swords for ritual display at weddings, the wares of the Lahor are now mostly seen as decorative curios and are made as per the requirements of antique dealers and interior decorators. Iron discs are bought from Karkhanas at Ajmer and Bhilwara, manually cut into the desired forms using a hataudi and a sheni and patterned with metal wires. Both women and men are involved in the process. The women folk prepare the polishes, finish the pieces and embroider the red velvet cases for the objects, while the men do most of the heavy manual labor. Courtesy: http://www.cohands.in/handmadepages/pdf/116.pdf