METAL CASTER’S METHOD OF OTHER COUNTRIES
Author Tej Ratna
Shakya
We all know that the inhabitant Thakaḥmi
(Metal Casters) of the Kathmandu Valley have been practicing and
establishing the profession of making kitchen or households utensils, statues
of deities or humans, bells for the shrines and wind bells etc. by casting on
such kinds of metals lī (brass), sijaḥ
(copper), kaṃy (bronze), vahaḥ (silver), luṃ
(gold) and so on since early period. These objects are made by worked hard with
simple as well as artistic designs. For instance, the objects with simple
designs, such as devāḥ (lamp), āmkhorā (water-vessel),
tāṃpha (water-vessel),
antarāpa (lock) using for sanukhaḥ (large wooden container) or
window or door, window railing etc. Similarly, the objects with artistic
designs, such as jhvatā (statue of deities or humans), sukundā (oil
lamp), bajra (thunderbolt), dhālchā (brewery rice beer jar),
thāḥpī (brewery rice beer jar), anti (fermented alcohol jar),
karuvā (water-vessel), jvalā nhyākaṅ-sinhaḥmū (mirror and vermilion powder pot) etc.
Also in out of valley, such as Bhojpur, Dharan in east and
Pokhara, Tansen in west, there are plenty of metal casters, who have been
adopting this profession to produce this kind of household utensils. Likewise,
the metal casters are not only in Nepal but also in other countries. Such as
India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, America, Britain etc.
Metal Caster’s Method of Nepal
The method of metal casting in Nepal is one of the types of sī
lhvakā
dhāle
yāyegu
jyā
pahaḥ
(Lost Wax Casting Method). In which firstly, hāpvaḥya
sī
(bee-hive wax) is used for shaping and forming the desire objects. Like the
potter prepares the shape and form from the soft clay dough soaked in water,
the wax is heated to make soft and create the shape and form from it. The wax
needs 120 ͦC for being liquid like water
and for being like clay dough, it needs 50 ͦC to 60 ͦC. That’s why, charcoal oven or stove or
electric heater is used for wax modelling and create the objects and statues as
imagined.
Then after, the slurry prepared by mixing mesiṅchā (fine
clay) and sau (cow-dung) will be applied onto the wax object as paint by
brush. This process of coating clay will be done for twice and if the coating
seems insufficient third layer will be applied. Then it will have covered by
the mhāsuchā (yellow clay) dough with mixture of mvaḥ (rice husk)
after completely dried the coated fine clay slurry and keep in the sunlight for
drying and prepare the sāy (casting mould). This process will be done
for twice or up to thrice. The metal casters from out valley used nāḥ (muddy
soil) from the pond instead of fine clay and siyuchā (red clay) instead
of yellow clay.
After the mold is prepared by covering it with clay onto the
wax, it will be heated by fire and the mold shall be dewaxed. Nau
(Channel) is already added for this and through this channel the wax will come
out. After completion of dewaxing, mould will have empty cavity, where the
negative imprint of the wax image will remain.
Then the mould will baked in the sāyga (kiln) as the potter
fires the pottery objects. It requires 600
ͦC
high temperature. At the same time, the metal will be melting in the bhvaṅchā
(crucible) made out of special kind of refractory clay inside the separate ga
(furnace). It requires 1200 ͦC for
melting copper and 900 ͦC for
brass. After melting the metals as a water-like liquid, the baked mould will be
unloaded from the kiln and pour the molten metal into it through the gate of
channel. After cooling the mould, it will be broken out by the tools and the
desired image will be coming out as created in the wax before.
After these various steps, other steps will be beginning, such as
welding work, if there is necessary in cast image. And then it will make clean
and smooth as well as chiseling work will be done for various artistic patterns
or designs. After completion of chiseling, gold plating process will be done as
well as cold gold painting can be apply to the image or patination process will
be executed as per necessary demand. In this way, a magnificent metal image
will be ready after execution of all steps of Lost wax casting method.
Metal Caster’s Method of Malaysia
14 years ago, in 1986, Asian Regional Artisans Workshop
Dhaka was held from January 18 to 29 in Bangladesh. The author of this article
had also participated in that workshop as a representative of Nepal to
demonstrate Nepalese Traditional Metal Caster’s Method. The author’s
experiences on Malaysian Metal Caster’s Method and Bangladeshi Metal Caster’s
Method from that workshop has been presenting here.
The method of metal casting in Malaysia, the East-Asian
country, could be also categorized as the type of Lost Wax Casting Method as
similar to Nepal. Although Malaysian working process in wax and moulding
materials seem a bit vary from Nepal. In Malaysia, the wax block will prepare
at first like a stone block or wooden block and then carve the desire shape and
form by using chisels alike to stone carver or wood carver to create statue of
deity or human as well as other objects along with artistic patterns, where as
in Nepal, the wax model is prepared in the hollow form from inside. The reason
of hollow less of Malaysian wax model is heavier than Nepalese wax model. That’s
why, metal object after casting has also weightier.
After preparing the wax model, the slurry will be coated as
in Nepal but Malaysian uses Plaster of Paris by the brush as paint
instead of mesiṅchā. Then the mould is covered by the specific
Malaysian clay with mixture of coconut husk as Nepalese yellow clay with rice
husk.
In this way, after drying the mould in the sun, heated into the
fire for dewaxing as in Nepal. And also cast in metal by similar method as in
Nepal. After execution of overall steps of Lost wax casting method, other steps
of tasks will be done as in nepal. Such as welding, chiseling and patination of
metal object. Afterward these all steps of tasks a wonderful object is prepared
with Java style.
Metal Caster’s Method of Bangladesh
Bangladesh is our neighborhood country. In 1986, the author
has got an opportunity to partake in the live demonstration by the indigenous
metal casters of Dhamrai Village during one of the field trips of Asian
Regional Artisans Workshop Dhaka at Dhamrai Brass Craft Village. The process,
demonstrated by the Dhamrai artisans, is not similar to the method of contemporary
Nepalese Lost Wax Casting.
They use pottery clay similar to Nepalese pottery clay for
the casting moulds. Likewise, instead of rice husk, they use drenched jute by pounding
into the wooden or stone mortar. They prepare clay dough by mixing pounded
jute. Then the master pattern of the object will be covered by the prepared
clay dough. The master pattern had been already prepared from the clay or the
metal or the wood or other materials. And then covered master pattern will be
keep into the oven by firing from leather blower to make dry instead of keeping
at the sun.
For instance, here the method of casting the rice cooking
pot has been presented. The master pattern made out of brass is covered by
mixed pounded jute clay dough from its outside as about one finger or 1 cm. Then
the wet mould is dried by putting into the fire. Then the dried mould is cut symmetrically
from outside by the seesaw or the knife and separate from the brass master
pattern. Then separated parts of the clay mould is joined together and
reinforce by the iron wire. After that the mould is covered by the clay dough once
again and then dry in the fire. Then after the sand clay powder is applied on
the inner surface of the mould and covered by a bit wet clay dough from inside.
When the mould dries completely, there will create the cavity between outer and
inner layers of that mould, where the molten metal will be poured. Then the
gating system is built by the clay dough for pouring the molten metal. And then
again keep into the fire for drying.
At the same time, the process of making crucibles for
melting metal has conducting, while preparing the casting moulds. The crucible
making process is quite similar to the Nepalese process as of the earlier
times. For instance, the crucible used to be prepared by the gathichā (black
clay) and the bajimvaḥ (beaten rice husk) in Nepal
and similarly, Bangladeshi artisans prepare the crucible by the yellow clay and
pounded jute. And then those crucibles are keep in the sun for drying. After
that the crucibles are filled up by the metal scraps and adjoined them onto the
gate of the moulds as of earlier times of Nepal. The prepared moulds and
crucibles are loaded in the kiln altogether and fired by the charcoal and wood in
high temperature while casting as of earlier times of Nepal.
After then the moulds are breaking opens the metal object or
the rice cooking pot after completion of casting. And necessary steps of
welding and filing are done as in Nepal.
In this way, the rice cooking pot is prepared after
executing the different steps of the process of casting. Likewise, they also
cast other simple designed objects in the same method.
These are the casting methods of different countries. In
aggregate, each country's method of casting or metal caster’s method has its
own significance. Even though, comparatively the Nepalese metal caster’s method
seems more scientific because in our Nepalese method, we can create any kind of
desired shapes and forms as we imagined, which is not possible in other’s
method. Today the well developed country America has been also adopting our
method or Lost Wax Casting Technique since it is more scientific. Hence,
Nepalese sculptors, artists and artisans must continue practicing our Metal
Caster’s Method forever. And also need to be improved in our method for the
further development.
This article is translated in English by Tejesh Man
Shakya from the originally written in Nepāl Bhāṣā
by the Sculptor and Metal Caster Mr. Tej Ratna Shakya and published in the
annual magazine SVANIGAH - Vol. 10 by Svanigah Sāhitya
Pālā, Nepal Commerce Campus,
Tribhuvan University in Nepal Era 1121 (2000 A.D.).
About the Author:
Tej Ratna Shakya is a Foundry based Classical
Metal Sculptor from Patan and a Founder of Foundry Foundation Nepal. Since his
childhood, he was trained by various art and technical experts of Nepal in the
course of conventional and informal Gurukul Educating System that expertise him
as a General Proficient of Metal Art and Design consisting of Clay & Wax
Modeling, Molding, Metal Casting, Chasing & Engraving, Plating & Patina.
He has mainly
approached in Nepali Buddhist and Vedic Sculptures as well as in Tibetan Buddhist
Sculpture. He is also widely recognized as an initiator of Japanese style
Buddhist Metal Sculpture in Nepal. His creations are permanently established by
various patrons of Nepal resembling Chamunda
Bhagwati (Brass) at Chamunda
Bhagawati Mandir, Jorpati, Kathmandu; Kali
Bhagawati (Brass) at Kali
Bhagwati Mandir, Pokhara; Surahi (Bronze) at Patan Museum; Divya Ghanta (Bronze) at Shivamuth, Bhaktapur and so forth in the private
collections of Nepal and abroad. Nagkanya
Series is most booming and identifiable creations of his sculptural life.
He has
participated in several National and International Exhibitions in Nepal and in abroad
resembling “4th National Fine
Art Exhibition 2071” NAFA, Naxal, Kathmandu; “Qatar Ayyam Wa Layali” QTB, Doha, Qatar; “3rd National Cottage Industrial Exhibition” CIDB, Bhrikutimandap, Katmandu; “Asian Regional Artisans Workshop”
Dhaka, Bangladesh; “21st National
Art Exhibition”, Royal Nepal Academy, NAFA, Naxal, Kathmandu; “Industrial Exhibition in Solidarity
Minister’s Meeting 2039”, Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu. He is also awarded for
his sculptures entitled Matsya-Manav by
CIDB in 1988 and Chamunda Bhagwati by
RNA-NAFA in 1985.
He was also allied with the
Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal and Mahabauddha Okubahal
Occupational Craftsman Co-operative Ltd. At present, he is designated as a Chief Instructor of Metal Art and Craft
at Nepal Vocational Academy, Panauti affiliated by CTEVT.
