Made by hand, in the Himalayan tradition
Metal Handicraft, based in Kalimpong, makes Buddhist ritual articles and decorative wall art in copper, brass and white metal. The work follows the repoussé and chasing methods of Himalayan temple metalwork: the design is raised from the back of a sheet with hammers and punches, then refined from the front.
Nothing here is cast, stamped or pressed by a machine. Each piece is made after you order it, so each carries its own hammer marks, and no two are exactly alike.
Talk to the makerI am Basan Shasankar, a metal artist. Hammering metal is not only my work, it is what makes me feel most alive. When a flat sheet slowly becomes a face, a feather or a prayer wheel under my hands, I am happy in a way I cannot explain.
This art came to me from my family, and I worry that it may be lost in time. Today, few young people want to get their hands dirty. So carrying my family craft forward as a business is a matter of honour for me.
Metal remembers every blow, so I strike each one with care. When you take one of these pieces home, you are not only buying art. You are helping a living tradition survive.
Basan Shasankar, Artisan