If one were to believe the craftsmen themselves, they say that the art originated
in Iran seven centuries ago. It was brought down by migrants. Zealously guarded
by its practitioners, the art has successfully expressed the experiences of
the Sufis, the aesthetic values of the Moghuls and the yearning of warriors
to decorate their ornaments of valour-swords, daggers, lances and shields. Today,
Bidri has been aptly contemporarised producing cufflinks, name plates and more.
But always retaining the old grandeur that won the heart of many a king, warrior,
scholar and commoner.
Broadly speaking, there are four main stages in the manufacture of Bidri
They are (i) casting (ii) engraving (iii) inlaying and (iv) oxidising.
The articles are cast with the help of moulds of red clay into which the molten
solution of copper and zinc prepared in the ratio of 1: 16 is poured. The surface
of the rough cast of the articles is filed and smoothened with sand paper and
then rubbed with a solution of copper sulphate to impart a dark surface to provide
a suitable base for the next stage of tracing the design and engraving. The
designs are traced by hand, by the craftsmen with the help of chisels. Next,
pure silver wire or sheet (gold in rare cases) is hammered into the grooves
of the design and the surface smoothened with the help of sand paper and files
or with the help of a buffing machine. In the ultimate interesting stage, the
articles are heated gently and treated with a solution of sal-ammoniac and earth
taken from old fort buildings which has the effect of making the entire surface
turn jet black providing a distinct contrast to the shining silver inlay. It
is this contrast that lends Bidri a uniqueness that no other metalware could
possibly claim. Finally, oil is rubbed on the piece to deepen the black matt
coating.
