260. Karnataka Bronze Ware

Karnataka Bronzeware dates back to several centuries when craftsmen meticulously sculpted idols of gods and goddesses. Craftsmen work on the metal to create bronze statuettes, each of which is a masterpiece. The captivating eyes of idols reflect calmness and their gleaming surfaces take you back to the era of myths and legends.

Using their deft fingers and skilled hands, craftsmen cast the solid or hollow metal by the lost wax process, pouring their imagination into the mould. After casting, intricate designs are worked on the metal, to give life to their creations.

The bronze casting process in Karnataka is ritualistic and has been practiced as a traditional craft till now since the last 200 years without changing the process. In Karnataka Bronze casting flourished under Chalukyas, Rastrakutas, Hoysals and the Vijayanagara period.

Image credit: globalinch.org

Another interesting part to note is the divisions done for a particular sculpture prior to its making which is very specific to Karnataka and is based on the Shilpashastras. The craftsmen who make the images in Bronze are known as ‘Stapathies’. They should be well versed in ‘dhynanaslokas’, which gives the physical attributes to the deity. This helps Stapathy decide proportions of body of the image.

Before taking up the making of wax model for masterpiece, the shloka given in the Shilpashastras is chanted and details are worked out as per the drawing and followed with the preparation of wax modelling. The artisan takes note of the proportion and measurements as laid down in Shilpashastras for icon making and makes a pattern rule.

This was earlier done with a narrow ribbon of coconut tree leaf cut to the icon length requirement and folded at different lengths in proportion to the length of various parts of the icon. Now, artisans just use the drawings from their ancestral databank. The unit of measurement in icon making is tala , which is the distance between the hairline and the end of the lower jaw.

The tala is divided into 12 equal parts called angulas (equivalent to the breadth o f a finger). Each angula is divided into eight yava (the size o f a barley grain) and so on until the smallest unit, a paramu (smaller than the end of a single hair). The craftsmen use traditional tools, most of which are made by them.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 28 March 2008

GI Tag Number                         : 62

Certificate Number                  : 52

Geographical Area                  : Karnataka

Special Cover Release Date   : 20 March 2022

Cancellation                             : Bengaluru GPO 560 001

Type                                          : GI Tag Cover

Cover Identification Number  : KTK/032/2022

Each cover is numbered.

Enlarged View of Illustration

Enlarged View of Cancellation

Back Side Scan

India Post has also issued a commemorative postage stamp on Karnataka Bronze Ware. Details of the same is furnished below

Handicrafts of India 
Geographical Indication (GI) registered Handicraft Products
Issued on 31 December 2018