Bidri art is a form of metalworking
from India that hasn't changed in 600 years.
The eight-step process involves molten metals,
hours of chiseling, and an eye for detail.
The secret ingredient? A special soil that can only be found
inside a fort in the city of Bidar.
But in an industry with already tight profit margins
and expensive raw materials,
the art form may not be around for much longer.
We visited some of the last artisans
who still know the craft to see how it's still standing.
Bidri art begins with metal casting.
An artisan uses a finished piece to make the mold.
He piles sand on top and packs it as tightly
as possible with the help of his body weight.
Now the mold is ready to cast a new piece.
The worker melts pieces of zinc and copper
over a small fire.
Then he pours the molten metal into the mold.
It takes about five minutes
for the metal to cool and solidify.
Then it's time to reveal the final shape.
Mohammed Ibrahim takes on buffing and polishing using one
of the only pieces of modern equipment in the workshop.
Then he covers the piece with a copper sulfate solution.
This creates a chalkboard-like surface
for the artisans to sketch out a design.
They begin to chisel away at the metal following the sketch.
It's the most time-consuming part of the process.
Sometimes they spend an entire day chiseling.
Next, the artisan hammers a silver
or gold wire into the engraving.
It's detailed work that takes patience and good eyesight.
That's why this glasses salesman comes
by the workshop every month.
Meanwhile, another worker welds the pieces together
to form a vase.
Then it goes through a few rounds
of buffing, filing, and cleaning.
Finally, workers boil together water,
soil, and aluminum chloride.
They soak the piece in the hot mud
to give it the signature black color.
The wire resists the coloration
so the design stands out against the dark background.
The soil used in this process is what
makes Bidri art unique.
It comes from a 600-year-old fort
which is just about three miles away
from Mohammad Salimuddin's workshop.
He says a chemical used in the fort's
construction gives the soil a special quality.
Mohammad says Bidri artisans have never been stopped
by security.
But before taking the soil, he checks the quality.
The fort was built by the Bahmani dynasty.
They're credited with bringing metalworkers
from Iran and popularizing Bidriware
between the 14th and 15th centuries.
The art flourished through the 1800s
when it was showcased at exhibitions in Europe.
But a fall in demand towards the end of the 20th century
and the rising cost of silver in the 2000s
put a strain on artists' livelihoods.
The pandemic has also raised export costs and kept tourists
from visiting Bidar, slashing Mohammad's sales.
Today, Mohammad says there are around 10 workshops in Bidar.
But he worries they won't be around for much longer.
Mohammad has managed to stay in business
by expanding his market with online sales.
He sells pieces at his brick-and-mortar shop too,
just a short walk from the artisans' workshops.
A vase that takes up to three days to make
goes for 3,000 rupees, or $41.
Mohammad says he purposefully prices his goods
to just about break even to keep turnover high.
The pieces that require more time
and resources cost more, like this bust.
It took 20 days to make, and it's selling
for 60,000 rupees, or just over $800.
And this plate that took nearly two months to make
costs 200,000 rupees, or about $3,000.
Hardships aside, Mohammad is happy
so long as the whole industry works together.