Metal perhaps is the most resilient medium an artist can choose. It gives the creation unparalleled longevity. In a country like India where idol worship seamlessly calms and conquers, metal idols have adorned temples and homes since time immemorial. Deities and tools of worship have found exquisite expression in metal work. Over two thousand years ago, zinc and copper were amalgamated and brass was first produced in India. There has been no looking back. The colossal cosmic pantheon of Hindu gods has eagerly whetted the creative skills of adroit Indian artisans.
Thousand-year-old antiques from the Chola dynasty of southern India still mesmerize and defy time. The dancing Natraja and the munificent Elephant God, Ganesh are all time favorites. Skilled artisans dexterously capture movement and expression even in a stoic medium like brass. Regal brass work from the erstwhile princely state of Jaipur, with its royal salvers, vases, urns and intricately engraved brass mirror frames, has evolved into design statements. Commonplace utility objects like bowls, door knockers, nut crackers, foot scrapers and kohl containers made of brass by the hilly tribes of Ladakh transcend form and function and become creations of beauty. The beatific Buddha comes across as serenity captured in brass. Artisans are adept in the highly refined process of engraving – vibrant lacquer colors of red, yellow, black and blue are filled in the designs. The iridescence and glitter of brass, its uniquely oriental aura and mystique, all make it universally enticing.