About fifteen years ago I collected this fabulous Dokra piece from an artist who came from Bankura...unfortunately, I lost the notes about him and the location of his exact origin...Dokra is a method of non-ferrous metal casting in lost-wax process, used in the Indic region for over 4000 years and it is still used in various places in India... This piece depicts a cockfight which is a favorite pastime in many tribal villages, and elsewhere as well, even now...the fights are mostly organized on weekly Hat days...people gather to watch the bout and bet on the birds...much rice-beer and Mhowa spirit is consumed during the occasion...the piece in my collection is composed of about 21 tiny human figures plus birds and a dog sitting in vigil over the figure of his master who is too drunk to sit upright...nearby two of his mates are drinking right off the pot !!...(I recollected my toddy and handia days in Santiniketan)... The sculpture reminded me of some super studies by Japanese master Takeuchi Seihō (1864 - 1942)...
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 08:18:05 +0000
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