Craft Atlas
Dhokra is metal casting by the lost-wax method: a wax model is coated in clay, the wax is melted out, and molten brass or bronze is poured into the hollow mould. In Bangladesh the tradition survives in villages around Dhamrai, near Dhaka, where a few families still cast figures, lamps and decorative pieces.
No pieces in this craft yet.
About Dhokra Metal Casting
Lost-wax casting is one of the oldest ways of shaping metal. One of the earliest known lost-wax objects is the dancing girl of Mohenjo-daro. The name dhokra comes from the Dhokra Damar metalsmiths of Odisha and West Bengal, whose casting technique is named after them, and it is now widely used for this style of work.
In Bangladesh, the metal craft of the villages around Dhamrai is traced back to the Pala dynasty, between about 800 and 1100 AD, when Buddhist and Hindu communities flourished in the area. Before the Liberation War, people in about 33 villages of the Dhamrai-Shimulia area worked in the trade. Today only a handful of families and workshops remain, and Dhamrai artisans describe lost-wax casting as the most demanding of the methods they use. Some families have passed the craft down for generations.
Because the mould is destroyed, every lost-wax piece is one of a kind. Dhamrai artisans model freehand and use single-use moulds rather than master moulds, which gives their work its variety.
Typical pieces include figures of Hindu and Buddhist deities such as Buddha, Krishna and Nataraja, animal figurines, lamps, candle stands, vases, bowls and chess sets.
Dhamrai upazila in Dhaka district is the centre of lost-wax casting in Bangladesh, in and around the Dhamrai-Shimulia villages. Artisans there also work with clay casting, sand casting and hammering, so the same workshop may offer pieces made in different ways.
The wax model is lost when it melts and the clay mould is broken to release the metal. That means every piece is one of a kind.
Lost-wax casting is practised across the wider region, and the name comes from the Dhokra Damar metalsmiths of Odisha and West Bengal. In Bangladesh the tradition lives on around Dhamrai, where it is traced back to the Pala period.
Size and the weight of metal matter, and so do the hours spent modelling fine detail in wax. Because each mould is used once, every piece is made from scratch.
Dust it with a soft, dry cloth. Brass darkens naturally, and you can brighten it with a brass polish, then rinse and dry it well.
Reviewed by JADUZ curators · updated October 2, 2026