Chhattisgarh State of India is filled with exotic handicrafts which are still unreachable to the customers at national and international level; such is the “Dhokra” art. Dhokra art involves intricate patterning of clay core with wax ribbon and then coating with a mix of clay and hay.Dhokra art is the famous art of Chhattisgarh, making it a favorite folk style for many customers, collectors, decorators, or furnishers etc. Dhokra art is inspired by tribal themes of animals, mythical creatures, human creatures, natural shapes etc. The region has a rich tradition of craft and culture. The Dhokra craft is fiend in Bastar, which is a district in the southern part of the state of Chhattisgarh. Bastar is bound by the states of Orissa and Maharashtra on its east and west, respectively. Of the total population of bastar, more than 70% are tribal including the Gond, Abhuj Maria, Darda Maria, Bison Horn Maria, Munia Doria, Dhruva, Bhatra and Halba tribes. Other communities carrying out specific occupations are also found in the district, such as the Ghadwas, who are engaged in the Dhokra craft. The city of Raipur in Chhattisgarh is the most convenient place from where one can access Baster. The clusters in Bastar for the Dhokra craft are Kondagaon and Jagdalpur, which are situated 225 kms and 298 kms respectively from Raipur.Dhokra art is the characteristic feature of Chhattisgarh art. Each piece of Dhokra art is characterized by intricate attention of the artist to provide its authenticity. It is an ancient method by which metal arty-crafts are made through wax casting techniques. It is an eco friendly craft as it uses scrap useless metal. Dhokra is a non- ferrous metal that is cast into various products by using the lost- wax casting technique. This sort of metal casting has been undertaken in India for over 4,000 years and the same method is still being used. One of the earliest known lost wax artifacts is the dancing girl of mohenjo-daro.Dhokra is the oldest form of metal casting and popular because of its simplicity. It is the specialty of Chhattisgarh. It is very important handicraft because of it labour extensive and largely exclusive folk character. Bastar district of Chhattisgarh provides the most distinct Dhokra crafts. Dhokra crafts are made manually by casting of brass and bronze metal with the help of wax vanishing technique. The process of making Dhokra craft is very old however; it provides such intricate works of the local deities, sun, moon, jungle, flora and fauna etc. to provide a decorative look on it. HISTORY:- The Dhokra craft has been discovered in the relics of the mohenjidaro and Harappan civilizations, which proves the historical and traditional importance of the industry. The statue of the dancing girl, unearthed at mohenjodaro is proof of the origin and continuity of the craft. It is this continuity of tradition, coupled with the intrinsic starkness and vitality of the art form, which makes Dhokra products coveted collectors’ items in India and Abroad for connoisseurs, scholars and laypersons alike. The Dhokra art is a major attraction in Bastar. The Ghadwas are small artisan groups who produce brass or bell metal objects. In Bastar, many folk stories are told about the origins of the Ghadwas, the foremost among which is the following tale: three hundred years ago, the ruler of Bastar, Bhan Chand was presented a gift, a necklace crafted in Dhokra craft for his beloved wife, which made him aware of the beauty of the craft. To honour the craftsman, he decided to bestow the title of Ghadwa on him, which is derived from the word ghalna, meaning to melt and work with wax. Therefore, since these people prepare the craft items by melting the metal through the use of the lost wax technique, they are given the name 'Ghadwa'. Another derivation of the name comes from the word gadhna, which means to make. Ghadna means the act of shaping and creating, and it is probably this term that gives the artisans, who cast the objects, mainly made of brass and copper, their name. In some regions, the craftsmen are also called Ghasia, Khaser, Mangan, and Vishwakarma.Process - In the craft production process of Dhokra, it is bees-wax and not metal that gives material shape to the creative images that are formed. In Chhattisgarh, these artists, rather craftsmen, are clustered in Bastar district, wherein they are concentrated in the region around Kondagaon and Jagdalpur. 1. Raw Materials: The basic raw material used for making Dhokra articles is brass, which is procured in the form of used brass utensils or any other brass scrap. The brass scraps are available locally from traders who either collect them locally or source them from Dhamtari and Raipur. The brass scrap is available for Rs. 220 to Rs. 250 per kg of scrap, depending on the availability and market conditions. The other raw materials required are: • Aari Mitti/Chikti Mitti (Black Soil) • Bhoosa (Rice Husk) • Rui Mitti (Riverside Soil) • Gobar (Cow-dung) • Lal Mitti (Red Soil) • Sem Patta (Bean Leaves) • Mome (Wax) • Jalawan (Fire Wood) • Koyla (Wood Coal) 2. Tools: Almost all the tools are made by the artisans either themselves or with the help of the local blacksmith or carpenter. The tools used in Dhokra craft are: • Hammer • Wooden mallet • Pichki-pharni • Chisel • Pliers • Tongs and • Wire brushes 3. Process: There are two main processes of lost-wax casting: solid casting and hollow casting. While the former is predominant in southern India, the latter is more common in central and eastern India. In solid casting, instead of a clay core a solid piece of wax is used to create the mould; hollow casting, on the other hand, is the more traditional method and entails the use of the clay core. The entire process can be broadly divided into the following five major parts: • Modelling • Moulding • De-waxing • Casting and • Finishing.Product Range: Now-a-days, the common Dhokra products made include images of Ganesh, Durga and the Nandi bull, lamps, lamp-stands, candle-stands, ash-trays, pen-stands, human forms, figures of Maria and Mareen (tribal figures), door handles, flower vases, mobile holders, face masks, water jugs, and key rings.Phases Of Development: Even though the Dhokra shilpis have been operating within the rigid technological framework provided by tradition, their art form has not remained static. Over the years, they have responded to newer and newer forms and motifs. We can identify five major phases of development in their art.Phase I- is defined by the original Dhokra repertoire, which is simple and stark in keeping with the maker’s lifestyle and philosophy.Phase II -came into being when the Dhokra shilpis took to settled life and started making new items consistent with the requirements of a food-surplus economy. Their work now included rather ornate Hindu gods and goddesses. Interestingly, in their own shrines, the Dhokra shilpis of Bikna have retained worship of their own creations (horses, elephants, etc.) in addition to Bhairon, who is a form of Shiva and a deity consistent with no vegetarianism.Phase III -is characterized by two major developments: patronage extended by the state and the social elites; and interaction with creative sculptors like Meera Mukherjee. She successfully imbibed in her own work techniques and motifs of the Dhokra art and, once accepted as an insider, introduced the Dhokra shilpis to new forms. It is during this phase that the stylized Bankura horse, hitherto a preserve of the Kumbhakars (clay shilpis), was successfully adopted for casting in metal.Phase IV- a relatively recent phenomenon, has been thrust upon the Dhokra shilpis by the demands of the cheap souvenir market. This phase is characterized by such “novelty” items as a Ganesh with an umbrella. Much of the work is pure kitsch. Such has been the impact of this phase that shilpis now describe their creations not in their own words but in the vocabulary given to them by the traders. Very often, when the traders descend on the shilpis’ village to make purchases they pay exploitatively low prices. In such cases the shilpis seek to indirectly raise their wages by lowering craftsmanship and compromising on the quality of the inputs. Thus they may use inferior quality of scrap and substitute coaltar for dhuna.Phase V- ushered in at Bikna and Dariapur by NISTADS in 2001, is defined by technological improvements accompanied by an enhanced sense of worthiness and Help in marketing (thanks to support from Cottage Emporium, Tribes and Manjusha). Remarkably, creative levels have risen to match the technology available. Not only are the shilpis making bigger and better artefacts, they have also added new forms and motifs on their own. Details Regarding This item:Artist's Name: UnknownYear of Execution: More than 80 years agoMaterial & Technique: Mentioned AboveProvenance: Family Heritage Dimensions: Height= 61 Cms Length= 33 Cms Width= 17 Cms Weight= 4.8 Kg