Dhokra is a traditional Indian art form, the origin of which dates back to the Indus Valley civilization, about four thousand years back. The name Dhokra has originated from the Dhokra- Damar indigenous group of West Bengal. However, this indigenous group, has its web spread across parts of Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh to a large extend and Rajasthan and even Kerala too, to some extent. The geographical web of this indigenous group becomes the reason of the coherent popularity of Dhokra art.
This art form involves non-ferrous metal casting using the process of ‘lost-wax casing’. Now, let’s take a walk down memory lane, remember the picture of the ‘Dancing- girl’ statue that we all came across in our history text books? Well, the earliest specimen of this art form is believed to be this famous ‘Dancing-girl’ that was procured from the ruins of Mohenjo-Daro.
‘The Dancing girl’ from Indus valley civilization- one of the earliest specimen of Dhokra art.
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Among all the artifacts made of this metal casting process, the fashionable yet ethnic Dhokra jewelry deserves special mention in this blog. The Dhokra jewelry is unique in its form because of its rugged panache, its beautiful golden glow, clean metal casted lines and most importantly due to its folk vibes! Dhokra jeweler is extremely popular in west Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and even parts of Madhya Pradesh. However, with change in time it is becoming extremely popular throughout India.
Making of Dhokra jewelry is one of the best examples of procuring and utilizing the best of nature. The artisans till date, take resort of the produce of nature like resin, fire wood, and wax, to make the jewelry. The metal casting is still done in natural clay oven furnace.
Dhokra Artisans
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This traditional and intricate art form is passed down from one generation of Dhokra artisans to the other. However, though the procedure and the spirit have remained same, yet the Dhokra jewelry has travelled a long way in terms of its look and design. With growing popularity, the artisans are bringing in more and more variation in the designs of the Dhokra jewelry which is on one hand traditional enough to be flaunted with ethnic wear and quirky enough to be worn with western wear too, keeping an optimum amount of ethnicity, intact. So, hurry up, if you don’t own one yet, go out and get yourself one of those exquisite pieces of Dhokra jewelry.
An ancient Dhokra neckpiece
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Modern renditions of the traditional Dhokra jewelry
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Modern renditions of the traditional Dhokra jewelry
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Modern renditions of the traditional Dhokra jewelry
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Modern renditions of the traditional Dhokra jewelry
(Image Source : netdna-cdn.com )
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