Brass & Bell Metal

History

Kansa, or bell metal, and pital, or brass, have long been part of Bengali homes, used for dining, worship and daily life. Artisans who work kansa are known as kansaris. According to local legend, kansa first came to this part of Bengal to serve the court of King Parasuram, and the craft spread from Mahasthangarh in Bogura to other centres.

Kansa is roughly three parts copper to one part tin. The high tin content makes it hard, rigid and resonant, which is why it has long been used for bells and cymbals as well as for plates and bowls. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. It is softer and easier to shape.

Both crafts have declined. Plastic, melamine and aluminium ware are cheaper, metal prices have risen sharply, and many younger members of kansari families have chosen other work. In centres such as Islampur and Dhamrai, only a small number of artisans still work at the furnace.

How it's made

• Melting: scrap or new metal is melted in clay crucibles over a fire.
• Casting: the molten metal is poured into simple moulds to form rough blanks, known in Islampur as guti.
• Hammering: the blank is heated and hammered outward, again and again, into a plate, bowl or cup.
• Shaping and engraving: the artisan refines the shape and cuts designs by hand.
• Polishing: the piece is filed and polished to a bright finish.

A single piece can take two to three days of hand work. Artisans describe bell metal as hard, brittle and unforgiving, and say it must be pure to be worked at all.

Typical pieces include plates, bowls, cups, bells, cymbals and pots used in worship, made for dining, ritual and everyday use.

Where it's made

Centres associated with the craft include:

• Dhamrai in Dhaka district
• Tangail, including Kagmari, Kalipur, Mogra and Charibari
• Islampur in Jamalpur, where the kansari neighbourhood is known as Kansharipara
• Chapai Nawabganj

How to recognise the real thing

• Tap it gently. Bell metal is resonant, so a good kansa bowl or plate rings with a clear, lasting tone.