A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft, and applies to a wide range of creative and designed activities that are related to making things with one’s hands and skill, including work with textiles, mouldable and rigid materials, paper, plant fibres, etc. one of the world’s oldest handicraft is Dhokra; this is a sort of metal casting has been used in India for over 4,000 years and is still used. Usually, the term is applied to traditional techniques of creating items (whether for personal or as products) that are both practical and aesthetic. The handicrafts industry is those that produce things with hands to meet the needs of people in the locality. Machines are not used.
If you look for handicrafts online, one could learn collective handicrafts include artisanry, handcrafting and crafting and handicrafts Manship. Handcrafting has its roots in the rural crafts- the materials- goods necessities- of ancient civilizations and many specific crafts have been practiced for centuries, while others are modern inventions or popularizations of crafts which were originally practiced in a limited geographic area.
The crafts of India are diverse, rich in history and religion. The craft of each state in India reflects the influence of different empires. Throughout the centuries, crafts have been embedded in a culture and tradition within the rural communities.
Metal handicrafts include metal work using zinc, copper, brass, silver, and gold. Some other traditional ancient handicraft styles are given below:
- Bidriware: the term firmware originates from a township of Bidar. The metal used is a blackened alloy of zinc and copper inlaid with thin sheets of pure silver.
- Dhokra: is a nonferrous metal casting using lost-waxing casting technique. Dhokra horses, elephants, peacocks, owls, religious images, measuring bowls and lamp caskets are highly appreciated. The Dhokra work is famous in east India.
- Kamrupi brass and bell metal products of Kamrup are famous for their beauty and strength and utility. The principal items of brass are kalah (water pot), sarai (platter of tray mounted on a base), kahi (dish), bati (bowl), lota (water pot with a ling neck), and tall (cymbals).
- Pembarthi metal craft: it is a metal handicraft made in Pembarthi, Warangal district, Telangana, India. They are popular for their exquisite sheet metal art works. This brass work art flourished during the reign of the Kakatiyas Empire.
The crafts of India have been valued throughout time their existence today proves the efforts put into their preservation. Today, there a number of educational institutes around the country which include education of traditional crafts in their course curriculum to maintain this culture. Despite these efforts, the roots of these crafts, which are rural craftsmen, are in decline. With rising economic and political issues in our country, the craft sector is struggling to uphold. I am very sure a little help from the government and an individual step towards these handicrafts will contribute in saving our heritage.