ढोकरा (Dhokra)
Bastar Dokra is the lost-wax (cire perdue) bronze casting tradition of the Ghadwa community of Bastar, Chhattisgarh — one of two major Indian Dokra traditions, the other being the West Bengal/Odisha variant (CRAFT-0060). The Bastar tradition is distinguished by its wire-work decoration: the wax model is built up from a clay core wrapped in layers of beeswax, then decorated by pressing fine wax wire coils, spirals, and geometric patterns onto the surface before investing in clay. The resulting cast metal objects retain the wire-texture surface as their defining aesthetic quality. Subjects are overwhelmingly drawn from Adivasi ritual life: tribal deities (Bastar Danteshwari, local devtas), ritual figures, animals, and ceremonial objects. The Ghadwa community practices this exclusively, and their number is critically small.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Not inscribed; GI Tag granted for Bastar Dhokra craft
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