History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c13.s3.6

v1.c13.s3.6

Beel, S., has quoted from the travel documents of Hiuen Tsang, that at Varanasi a copper icon of Maheshwar Deo having a height of 3000 mm was found. Kulkarni (1989) has written that from Sangharam of Bhagalpur distt. a 2286 mm high copper statue (11th century A.D.) has been obtained which was made by casting in parts and then rivetting them together with the help of iron strips. Joshi (1970) has described the use of this technology two decades back for making a 1820 mm high statue of Lord Hanuman (weight 350 Kg.) by casting it in parts and then brazing them together. The study of the ancient brass and bronze icons have revealed that ancient craftsmen were capable of producing solid as well as hollow castings, which were probably made by pouring out the remaining liquid metal after partial solidification has taken place near the mold wall.