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Bell metal crafts of Sarthebari

The Craft of Utensils
by
Prof. Ravi Mokashi Punekar, Menuolhoulie Kire and Tanima Das
DoD, IIT Guwahati

Sarthebari is home to the bell metal industry, the second largest handicraft of Assam. Bell metal is an alloy of copper and tin and utensils made from it are used for domestic and religious purposes. Bell metal as a craft has survived for ages, yet there seems to be very little transition in the method of preparing bell metal items so far as Sarthebari is concerned. The craftsmen who are also referred to as the Kahar or Orja still resort to the age old tools required for burning and shaping the metal.

About 40 percent of the people in this village are engaged in this cottage industry and the hammering of the metal at the furnace can be heard throughout the village. The principal items of brass are the kalah (water pot), sarai (a platter or tray mounted on a base), kahi (dish), bati (bowl), lota (water pot with a long neck) and tal (cymbals).

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