Forging, while effective when
bell metal is at its peak temperature, quickly becomes destructive as the metal cools, fracturing the surface of the raw bell.
After the German invasion of the Netherlands, the occupation authorities declared that they would confiscate 75 per cent of Dutch
bell metal. Since this was less than the initial Dutch plan of confiscation (set at 90 per cent) an additional number of bells were added to the protected list and marked M.
Look out for works in
bell metal or dokra, iron work, kosa silk and terracotta.
Traditional communities are the fountainhead of arts and craft, and the people of Bastar are no different, with their exceptional heritage of dhokra or
bell metal casting, wrought iron, and terracotta.
The food, served in
bell metal utensils, is divided into three thalis- Grameen with simple but hearty rural fare, the Mussalmander thali with lots of meat and the Zamindari thali, a cross between the two.