Silver inlay on black metal

Bidar an obscure small town 160 KMs from Hyderabad is not known to many. Bidri is a border town in Karnataka close to Andhra Pradesh. Bahamani sultans ruled Bidar during 13^th to 15^th century. Whichever place Muslim rulers have gone they have left behind a wonderful handicraft behind them. Bidar is no exception to this. Bidri art is a gift of Bahamani sultans to Bidar town! 

 

During the times of Bahamani sultans, what is today known as Bidri flourished in Bidar. Abdullah bin Kaiser, a craftsman from Iran was invited by the Sultan to work on decorating the royal palaces and courts. According to some accounts, Kaiser joined hands with local craftsmen and gave birth to Bidriware. Since then, the craft has been handed down to succeeding generations mostly among the local Muslim and Lingayat sects.

The term 'Bidri' originates from the township of Bidar, which is still a major centre for the manufacture of this unique metal ware. Bidar has many artisans who are experts in making Bidriware through generations.

An alloy of copper and zinc in the ratio of 1:16, it is black in colour. The alloy gets the deep black colour because of zinc. To start with, a mould is made which is a mixture of soil and castor oil. Castor oil is mixed with the soil to give the mixture proper malleability. The molten alloy is then poured into it to obtain a cast piece which is later smoothened by filing. The casting is then coated with a strong solution of copper sulphate to obtain a black coating over which the designs are etched freehand with the help of a metal stylus. 

The resultant article is secured in a vise and the craftsman uses small chisels to engrave the design over the freehand etching. Fine wire or flattened strips of pure silver are then carefully hammered into these grooves.

The dark ground with an inlay of silver in intricate patterns is extremely pleasing. The designs, inlaid with pure silver, stand out dramatically against the black background. The designs are usually taken from the historical fort at Bidar and the frescoes in the Ajanta caves, though new designs have been added in recent times.

This is a very fine handicraft which should be encouraged so that it does not fade away with the onslaught of modernisation. It is very heartening to note that the recently concluded Common Wealth Games at Delhi had manufactured all their medals from this small town in Bidri art. This art must be preserved for future!