Dokra Pair of Horses

Dokra art (also spelled Dhokra) is one of India’s oldest surviving metal art traditions—raw, earthy, and quietly radical in how little it has changed over thousands of years.
At its heart is the lost-wax casting technique (cire perdue), believed to be over 4,000 years old, going back to the Indus Valley civilisation. The famous bronze “Dancing Girl” from Mohenjo-daro is often cited as an early cousin of Dokra.
Where it comes from
Dokra art is traditionally practised by tribal communities—especially the Dhokra Damar tribes—across regions like:
Bastar (Chhattisgarh)
Bankura & Purulia (West Bengal)
Parts of Odisha, Jharkhand, Telangana
Each region has its own visual language, but the spirit remains the same: functional objects infused with myth, ritual, and daily life.

How it’s made
The process is slow, manual, and almost meditative:
A clay core is shaped.
Beeswax mixed with resin is layered and detailed by hand.
Another clay layer seals it.
The mould is fired—wax melts away.
Molten brass is poured into the hollow space.
No mould is reusable. Every Dokra piece is unique, slightly imperfect, unmistakably human.
What it depicts
Dokra art often portrays:
Tribal deities and fertility figures
Animals (elephants, owls, horses—especially the iconic Bankura horse)
Musicians, dancers, hunters
Lamps, bowls, ritual objects
The figures are stylised rather than realistic—elongated limbs, patterned surfaces, symbolic gestures. Beauty here is expressive, not polished.

Size : 22"*10"