Dokhra Crafts
Dhokra Damar tribes are the traditional metalsmiths of West Bengal, India. The technique of lost wax casting is named after their tribe, hence Dhokra metal casting. The tribe extends from Jharkhand to West Bengal and Orissa and now found all over India.
The name 'Dhokra' or 'Dokra' was formerly used to indicate a group of nomadic craftsmen in India, and is now generically applied to a variety of beautifully shaped and decorated brassware products created by the cire perdue or 'lost wax' process.
The craft of lost-wax casting is an ancient one in India, and appears to have existed in an unbroken tradition from the earliest days of settled civilisation in the sub-continent.