{"title":"Dhokra Art and Brass Figurines","description":"\u003cp\u003eDhokra is metal cast by the lost wax method, practised for more than 4,000 years by tribal metalworkers of central and eastern India; the Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro was made the same way. Each piece starts as a wax model over a clay core, is packed in clay and fired, and molten metal takes the place of the wax, so no two are alike. Here: the Uluka owl, a Bankura horse, the Nartaki dancing girl and the Vidya woman, most cast in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, and Parna leaf tealight holders. Orders ship from India with tracking and reach the US in 10 to 14 business days, and shipping is free on orders of $99 and up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"hot-cfaq\"\u003e\u003csummary\u003eQuestions + Answers\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is Dhokra art?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMetal casting by the lost wax method, practised by tribal artisans in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal for more than 4,000 years. Each piece is cast from its own wax model, so no two are exactly alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow big are they?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Uluka owl is 3.5 x 2.5 in (approx. 8.9 x 6.3 cm), the Nartaki dancing girl 7 x 2.25 in (approx. 17.8 x 5.7 cm) and the Parna leaf tealight holders 6.6 x 2.6 in (approx. 16.8 x 6.5 cm).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow do I care for Dhokra brass?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDust with a soft, dry cloth and do not immerse it in water. Polish now and then with a brass cleaning cloth. The patina deepens with time; that is normal for Dhokra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill I pay import duty?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOrders ship from India. US import duty may apply on delivery for metal items such as brass, copper and iron.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"dhokra-bankura-horse-lost-wax-metal-figurine","title":"Dhokra Bankura Horse Lost-Wax Metal Figurine","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMade using the lost-wax Dhokra casting process, the same technique used to create the Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-Daro, more than 4,000 years ago. Artisans in Bastar, Chhattisgarh model the horse in wax over a clay core, pack it in clay, fire the mold, and pour molten metal in. The wax is lost; the form survives. Each piece bears the exact impression of the wax original: every mark, every decision, permanent.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Bankura horse is one of the great recurring images of Indian folk art, a stylized, strong-necked form associated with the Sun god, made across the tribal belt of Central India for ritual and devotional use. This version is cast in the 4,000-year-old Dhokra tradition: lost-wax casting, the technique traceable to the Indus Valley Civilization, still practiced by the tribal metalworkers of Bastar, Chhattisgarh.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe horse is heavier than it looks. That is the point of Dhokra, the metal is solid, the impression precise, the surface carries the texture of the original wax model. Set it on a shelf, a console, or a mantel where the light can find it. The patina deepens with time. This is not a defect, it is the object becoming yours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLost-Wax Dhokra Casting · Bastar, Chhattisgarh · 4,000-Year-Old Technique · Tribal Metal Art\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNatural Materials\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCollection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTribal Stories\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare Instructions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDust with a dry, soft cloth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not immerse in water.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePolish brass figurines occasionally with a brass-cleaning cloth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIron figurines: apply a light coat of mineral oil to prevent rust.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"House of Taraasha","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51903925027133,"sku":"HOT-FIG-001","price":99.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0996\/2363\/3213\/files\/lifestyle_1_20936d25-26bf-458b-a968-1ba01a005e19.png?v=1782990624"},{"product_id":"dhokra-brass-owl-bastar-lost-wax-casting","title":"Uluka: Dhokra Brass Owl Figurine, Lost-Wax Cast","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"hot-facts\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat it is:\u003c\/strong\u003e A small Dhokra brass owl figurine made by lost-wax casting in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, a decorative piece for display, sold singly or as a pair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Brass\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e Single Piece: H- 3.5 in X W- 2.5 in (H- approx. 8.9 cm X W- approx. 6.3 cm); Set of 2: H- 3.5 in X W- 2.5 in (H- approx. 8.9 cm X W- approx. 6.3 cm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dust with a dry, soft cloth and do not immerse in water. Polish occasionally with a brass-cleaning cloth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArrival:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ships from India with tracking and arrives in the US in 10 to 14 business days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"hot-more\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMore like this:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/christmas-gifts-from-india\"\u003eChristmas Gifts from India\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn Bastar, Chhattisgarh, a 4,000-year-old method survives: a wax figure wrapped in clay, fired until the wax melts away, leaving a hollow form that is filled with molten brass. This owl emerged from that same process, the same one that produced the Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-Daro. Hold it, and you feel the weight of that lineage.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Dhokra artisans of Bastar have never needed a mould. Each figure begins in beeswax, sculpted by hand, then encased in clay and fired, the wax runs out, the brass runs in. No two pieces are identical. This owl, with its textured surface and slightly rough finish, is the direct imprint of that process.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Hindu tradition, the owl is Lakshmi's vahana, her vehicle, her companion. Place it on a bookshelf, a mantle, or a corner of your desk where something needs watching over. It is not decorative in the passive sense. It has presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDhokra Lost-Wax Cast · Bastar, Chhattisgarh · 4,000-Year Technique · Brass\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBrass\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCollection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTribal Stories\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare Instructions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDust with a dry, soft cloth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not immerse in water.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePolish brass figurines occasionally with a brass-cleaning cloth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIron figurines: apply a light coat of mineral oil to prevent rust.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"House of Taraasha","offers":[{"title":"Single Piece","offer_id":51903927386429,"sku":"HOT-FIG-002","price":99.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Set of 2","offer_id":67637639741757,"sku":"HOT-FIG-002-2","price":124.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0996\/2363\/3213\/files\/lifestyle_1_3f474e54-8601-46cd-b1a5-91add689d1ba.png?v=1782990706"},{"product_id":"dhokra-parna-brass-leaf-tealight-holders","title":"Dhokra Parna Brass Leaf Tealight Holders","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Dhokra brass-casting tradition is said to stretch back more than 4,000 years, to the same wax-and-metal technique that produced the Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-Daro, now in the National Museum in Delhi. Dhokra artisans across the tribal belt of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh still use the lost-wax method: a wax model, a clay shell, molten metal poured in. Each leaf tealight holder begins as a hand-modeled wax form that is then destroyed in the casting process, so no two are exactly alike.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLost-wax casting, called cire perdue in French, a technique attributed to the Harappan civilization in its Indian form, produces objects with a distinctive surface: slightly grainy, warm, carrying the texture of the original wax in the metal that replaces it. These two leaf-form tealight holders come from Dhokra artisans continuing that lineage, each holder shaped first in wax and then cast in brass through a process that cannot be reversed or repeated precisely.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet a tealight in each and the brass picks up the flame and distributes it as warmth across its surface. Group them with other Dhokra pieces or let them stand on their own on a dining table or windowsill. The brass will oxidize slowly over time, deepening from bright to a richer amber-brown. That shift is the object settling into your home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLost-Wax Dhokra Casting · 4,000-Year Technique · Tribal Central India · Brass\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16.8 x 6.5 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBrass\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCollection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTribal Stories\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare Instructions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDust with a dry, soft cloth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not immerse in water.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePolish brass figurines occasionally with a brass-cleaning cloth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIron figurines: apply a light coat of mineral oil to prevent rust.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"House of Taraasha","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51903933284669,"sku":"HOT-FIG-004","price":99.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0996\/2363\/3213\/files\/lifestyle_1_7c75774d-7a5b-4b8e-9c48-847983d76f30.png?v=1782990914"},{"product_id":"dhokra-dancing-girl-harappan-replica-in-brass","title":"Nartaki: Mohenjo-daro Dancing Girl Statue in Dhokra Brass","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"hot-facts\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat it is:\u003c\/strong\u003e A brass statue of the Mohenjo-daro Dancing Girl, made by lost wax Dhokra casting, for display as a decorative figurine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Brass\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 7 x 2.25 in (approx. 17.8 x 5.7 cm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dust with a dry, soft cloth and do not immerse in water. Polish brass figurines occasionally with a brass-cleaning cloth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArrival:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ships from India with tracking and arrives in the US in 10 to 14 business days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"hot-more\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMore like this:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/diwali-gifts-usa\"\u003eDiwali Gifts to Send to the USA\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eShe stands barely seven inches tall, one hand on her hip, a necklace at her throat, the original Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-Daro was cast in bronze approximately 4,500 years ago and is now one of the most recognized objects in the world. This replica was made by Dhokra artisans using the identical lost-wax technique: a wax figure built by hand, encased in clay, molten brass poured in, the clay broken away to reveal what the heat made. The same method. The same figure. Four and a half millennia apart.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Dancing Girl, unearthed at Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley and dated to approximately 2500 BCE, was cast using a technique that Dhokra artisans in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh still practice today. That continuity is not metaphor; it is material fact. This replica was made by those same artisans using the same lost-wax process: each figure begins as a hand-modeled wax form, gets encased in clay, and is fired until the wax runs out and molten brass takes its place. The clay shell is broken open once. What's inside is what you receive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe surface is the color of aged brass, warm, with the slight granularity the lost-wax process always leaves behind. Set her on a shelf at eye level. She has been worth looking at for four and a half thousand years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLost-Wax Dhokra Casting · 4,000-Year Technique · Tribal Central India · Brass\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e7x2.25 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNatural Materials\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCollection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTribal Stories\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare Instructions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDust with a dry, soft cloth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not immerse in water.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePolish brass figurines occasionally with a brass-cleaning cloth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIron figurines: apply a light coat of mineral oil to prevent rust.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"House of Taraasha","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51903933317437,"sku":"HOT-FIG-005","price":99.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0996\/2363\/3213\/files\/lifestyle_1_39a7d6f0-126d-419f-9ab7-4bbd58c4e3d4.png?v=1782990916"},{"product_id":"vidya-dhokra-brass-woman-figurine","title":"Vidya Dhokra Brass Woman Figurine","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"hot-facts\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat it is:\u003c\/strong\u003e A brass figurine of a woman, made by Dhokra lost-wax casting in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, to display as a decorative piece at home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Brass\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hand wash only with mild soap and lukewarm water, and never put in a dishwasher. Wipe dry immediately after washing, avoid abrasive cleaners and steel wool, and polish periodically with a brass-cleaning powder or lemon and salt.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArrival:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ships from India with tracking and arrives in the US in 10 to 14 business days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"hot-more\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMore like this:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/dhokra-art\"\u003eDhokra Art and Brass Figurines\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn Bastar, Chhattisgarh, the lost-wax casting technique, Dhokra, has not changed in 4,000 years. A wax model is made by hand, encased in clay, heated until the wax runs out and molten brass is poured in its place. When the clay is broken open, the figure inside is unique. There is no other exactly like it.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCast by tribal artisans in Bastar, Chhattisgarh using the lost-wax Dhokra technique, one of the world's oldest surviving metal-casting methods, continuous since at least the Bronze Age Harappan civilisation, this handcrafted figurine depicts a woman from the tribe that has kept this craft alive. She is not an abstraction. She is representation: specific, embodied, rooted in the everyday life and belief systems of the communities of central India.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe brass is heavier than it looks. That is the first thing. The second is the surface texture, not machined, not polished to a shine, but bearing the marks of the clay mould and the handmade wax original. Brass deepens with time, developing a patina that is not deterioration but accumulation. This is not a decorative object. It is a record.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLost-Wax Dhokra Casting · Bastar, Chhattisgarh · Artisanal Brass · 4,000-Year Technique\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBrass\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCollection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTribal Stories\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare Instructions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrass will develop a natural patina with use, this is not a defect, it is the object becoming yours.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHand wash only with mild soap and lukewarm water. Never put in dishwasher.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWipe dry immediately after washing. Do not leave wet.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvoid abrasive cleaners and steel wool, use a soft cloth only.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePolish periodically with a brass-cleaning powder or lemon and salt to restore lustre.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"House of Taraasha","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51903945703741,"sku":"HOT-BRS-041","price":99.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0996\/2363\/3213\/files\/lifestyle_1_7e805b2e-183e-4dd9-93af-3ca146cb3886.png?v=1782991300"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0996\/2363\/3213\/collections\/lifestyle_1_3f474e54-8601-46cd-b1a5-91add689d1ba.png?v=1792493253","url":"https:\/\/houseoftaraasha.com\/collections\/dhokra-art.oembed","provider":"House of Taraasha","version":"1.0","type":"link"}