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dokhra |
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| In
India it has survived in the tribal communities all over Orissa where
it is used to make figures of Gods and animals. Wax is first collected from the forests where the tribals live. It is kneaded, beaten and rolled into thin strands. Then a clay base is made of the object to be cast and the wax strands are wound around it. For jewelry, the clay base is omitted and the whole thing is made with thick sheets of wax with the decorative trims added. There are many ways to do this and different tribes have different styles  |
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The
wax covered object is then covered thoroughly with a thick layer of
clay, with a cup shaped opening on top. Into this cup shaped opening,
pieces of brass are put and the whole thing is covered in clay to
seal the metal in. Brass is usually bought second hand and cut into
small pieces. |
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| The next stage is to make an oven out of clay and put the whole covered object inside. When it is baked, the clay hardens, the wax melts and flows out of a hole conveniently placed in the bottom, the metal also melts and flows from the top to fill the empty space left by the wax. The casting is complete. After the whole thing has cooled, the clay covering is broken open and the rough edges of the object are filed down. |  |
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