Bidriware

A labor of love, translated into magnificent art

• ‘Bidriware' derives its name from Bidar, a small hilltop city in present day Karnataka. The art is thought to have begun there during the reign of the Bahamani Sultans in the 14th century.
• The ancient art of damascening or koftgari, a technique wherein one metal is inlaid into another, was practiced in Turkey, Persia and Arabia. It is believed that followers of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti were connoisseurs of this art and brought it to India from Iran. The Bahamani sultans saw the handiwork and impressed with the skill commissioned the artists to decorate their palaces and courts in Bidar. The artists joined hands with the local artisans and that is how the first secrets of the trade were learned. The local craftsmen then amalgamated the work with their own distinctive style and a unique art form called Bidriware was born! I Bidri is a lustrous black beauty with lovely silver inlay.
• Bidriware is prized as a symbol of wealth. The metal used is a blackened alloy of zinc and copper inlaid with thin sheets of pure silver and gold.. An exquisite metal handicraft.