Feature: Brass metal industry a dying craft in Bangladesh
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E-mail Xinhua, September 20, 2013
The metal craft industry in Bangladesh, particularly those producing brass and bell-metal items, is now a "sunset industry" because of the declining demand for brassware over the years caused by the massive influx of products made of steel, crystal and ceramics.
The brassware of Bangladesh reveals the high workmanship of the artisans who have handed down their craft from one generation to the other. There are household articles and utensils made out of brass and bell-metal with different shapes and sizes. The principal items of brass are water pots, dishes, bowls, cymbals and other figurines.
Artisans also make figurines of elephants and horses from brass with intricate designs.
The best metal craftsmen in the country are the members of the kansari (brazier) caste who are known for their skills in producing artworks in brass and silver.
The metal brass and bell-metal craftsmanship is particularly common in Bangladesh's Dhamrai district in the outskirts of Dhaka. But Dhamrai, a place famous for its metal craft, is fast losing its glorious past due to various challenges, according to local artisans and businessmen.
A decade ago there were about a thousand families involved in this folk craft in Dhamrai, but now the figure has decreased to about one hundred.
They said a decline in the demand for brassware, high prices of requisite metal and huge increase in the price of raw materials are the main threats to the industry.
Prakashnath Banik, proprietor of Dhamrai Metal Arts and Crafts, told Xinhua recently that there was a time when people from far- flung areas in Bangladesh used to ravel to Dhamrai to buy brass utensils, figurines and other decorative artworks.
But now a significant number of artisans are abandoning this vocation due to recession, and local customers are now more interested to buy cheaper substitute products, Banik lamented.
"Now I see a bleak future of this industry. There are no new artisans getting involved in this profession," Pradeep Sarkar, brass and bronze metal artisan, said.
Dilip Sarkar, an aged artisan and elder brother of Pradeep Sarkar, also doesn't want any of his family members to get involved in the dying industry.
The elder Sarkar, who has received several national awards for his excellent craftsmanship, said he does not want the next generation of his family to go into the business because there is no more money in it.
Sarkar added that under the present set-up only the wholesalers, not the artisans, are getting money from the brassware industry.
He said that the industry needs the support of the government by paving the way for the artisans to be able to export their products abroad so that they can earn more money from their craft and at the same time help in earning foreign currency for the country.
Despite its being a dying art, Banik said he will continue with his business which has been in the family for six generations.
He said he is banking on the demand for their products from foreign customers who appreciate excellent craftsmanship. Endi
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