The Man & The Party Hat
Cast in brass nearly three decades ago, this Adivasi Man was created using Dokhra, East India’s ancient lost-wax casting tradition.
Each piece begins as a hand-sculpted wax form, wrapped in clay and fired until the wax disappears, leaving behind a mould that can only be used once. The molten brass fills that cavity, making every casting permanently one of one. No two pieces are ever the same and that’s the speciality of it.
For this piece, we added a hand-embroidered glass-beaded party hat made by a Gujarati bead artist. Bringing together two crafts to add a new layer to the story.
We look for cues hidden in an object’s character, then amplify them with contemporary additions that add whimsy and fun to it. Since we see the man is already playing a drum, celebration was built into the object. The hat simply brings that detail to the forefront in a contemporary way.
- MaterialBrass (Main Body); Glass Beads (Party Hat)
- ColourDarkened gold with brown undertones.
- ConditionGood vintage condition; heavy natural patina; age-consistent wear
