This is a unique casting tradition of the Bastar tribals of Madhya Pradesh with a unique surface texture which makes one feel that bronze wires are wound around the basic form. The tribals of Bengal and Orissa, though lesser known, too follow similar casting techniques to create wondrous artifacts.e a variati

Predominantly hollow-cast, they u

on of lost-wax casting,  which has long been known to these pre-Aryan tribals. It is by the free and rapid way in which they construct a model, unlike the fastidious waxwork of their more elevated counterparts in the South, that the tribal metalcasters are able to achieve their exciting castings.

The figures are generally small, depicting major or minor local deities, and apart from head and arms, they are hollow, built up on a core. This is made of a mixture of clay and sand covered with fine clay so that details can be clearly formed.

When the figure is completed, beeswax is squeezed through locally devised syringe, producing a thread of wax to be wound around the figure until it is completely covered. The beeswax threads are arranged over the core in the form of a network, or placed in parallel lines or diagonally.

To further pattern or rework sections of the model, a hot knife is used to smoothen the surface. On this smooth surface, wax strands are laid on again to shape clothing and jewellery.

Through these beeswax threads, the craftsman fashions the character of his model, whether the aim is finesse or crude expressiveness. For the God, he may seek to show divine intensity of gaze, the fine folds in jewellery and clothing. In contrast, for a fanciful model of a tiger he will wrap a lattice of threads across the whole body to pattern it, and detail the head with a toothy smile.

On satisfactory completion, a sheath of clay paste is carefully pressed all over the model. This is the clay mold that will give the likeness of the wax model to the metal. For protection and strength, the layer of fine clay is then sealed with a wall of clay mixed with rice husks, which will burn away and leave holes that allow the casting to cool evenly. A channel is formed for the exit of the wax and the recipient of the molten metal.

When the clay is dry, the assembly is securely bound with copper wires. The unit is now heated to melt and thus remove the wax. Then the molten metal is poured in. On cooling, the inside core is scrapped out through a hole or left behind to add weight and thus stability to the casted figure.