Bronze Dhokra Work Money Box From Kandhamal - 19th Century
From Odisha's Kandhamal district, this 19th-century bronze money box showcases the Dhokra Damar tribe's enduring lost-wax casting tradition. Once used daily to safeguard cash and valuables, it bears diagonal ribbing and patterned bands, a hinged lid with a stylised peacock finial, a symbol of beauty and protection in Indian culture. The whole money box is mellowed by a rich, earthy patina.
Each Dhokra piece is unique: the form is first modeled in beeswax, layered with clay (traditionally from termite hills), fired, and then cast in molten bronze; the clay mold is broken to release the finished box, which is cleaned and detailed by hand.
- Origin: Kandhamal, Odisha, India
- Date: Late 19th century
- Tribe: Dhokra Damar
- Style: Tribal Dhokra metalwork
- Material: Bronze
- Technique: Lost-wax casting (cire perdue) with termite-hill clay mold
- Features: Peacock finial, hinged lid, loop-and-ring closure, decorative ribbing and banding
- Finish: Naturally aged patina with wear consistent with age
More Images
Bronze Dhokra Work Money Box From Kandhamal - 19th Century
From Odisha's Kandhamal district, this 19th-century bronze money box showcases the Dhokra Damar tribe's enduring lost-wax casting tradition. Once used daily to safeguard cash and valuables, it bears diagonal ribbing and patterned bands, a hinged lid with a stylised peacock finial, a symbol of beauty and protection in Indian culture. The whole money box is mellowed by a rich, earthy patina.
Each Dhokra piece is unique: the form is first modeled in beeswax, layered with clay (traditionally from termite hills), fired, and then cast in molten bronze; the clay mold is broken to release the finished box, which is cleaned and detailed by hand.
- Origin: Kandhamal, Odisha, India
- Date: Late 19th century
- Tribe: Dhokra Damar
- Style: Tribal Dhokra metalwork
- Material: Bronze
- Technique: Lost-wax casting (cire perdue) with termite-hill clay mold
- Features: Peacock finial, hinged lid, loop-and-ring closure, decorative ribbing and banding
- Finish: Naturally aged patina with wear consistent with age
Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Description
From Odisha's Kandhamal district, this 19th-century bronze money box showcases the Dhokra Damar tribe's enduring lost-wax casting tradition. Once used daily to safeguard cash and valuables, it bears diagonal ribbing and patterned bands, a hinged lid with a stylised peacock finial, a symbol of beauty and protection in Indian culture. The whole money box is mellowed by a rich, earthy patina.
Each Dhokra piece is unique: the form is first modeled in beeswax, layered with clay (traditionally from termite hills), fired, and then cast in molten bronze; the clay mold is broken to release the finished box, which is cleaned and detailed by hand.
- Origin: Kandhamal, Odisha, India
- Date: Late 19th century
- Tribe: Dhokra Damar
- Style: Tribal Dhokra metalwork
- Material: Bronze
- Technique: Lost-wax casting (cire perdue) with termite-hill clay mold
- Features: Peacock finial, hinged lid, loop-and-ring closure, decorative ribbing and banding
- Finish: Naturally aged patina with wear consistent with age
