Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c28.s5: Other Metal Working Techniques
Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c28.s5
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Other Metal Working Techniques
v1.c28.s5.1
Starting from the Harappan era, several techniques were used for decoration and finishing of metallic artefacts and art-objects. (Agrawal, D.P., 1971, 1982; Dahiya, 1986) Dahiya has reviewed (1986: 111-16) some of these techniques.
v1.c28.s5.2
Repoussé technique was employed for raising a pattern in relief on a metallic piece by giving of blows on the underside, while the side to be decorated was allowed to rest on a soft surface such as wood, lead or pitch. Goldsmiths used to produce identical relief patterns on annealed surface of gold and silver by striking with lead or bronze stamps. Filigree and granulation involved soldering cut wires or grains of noble metals on a sheet surface. Shells, stones and gems used to be ‘inlaid’ into the cavity of another metal to produce design.
v1.c28.s5.3
Rods of gold, silver and copper were softened by heating and then pulled through holes in a metal sheet of appropriate size to produce wires of specific dimension. Thin sheets of gold and silver used to be wrapped on various surfaces such as lac, copper and bronze to produce ornaments. The goldsmiths used various tools and instruments such as chisel, saw, knife, borer, drill, spatula, hammer etc. for metal-working.
v1.c28.s5.4
Various metal forging techniques were known and employed by the Harappans: hammering and chiselling, hammering using mandrel, raising, hollowing and sinking. There are evidences that some samples were cold-worked and hardened below recrystallisation temperature (Chanhu-Daro celt); some hot-worked above recrystallisation point (Mohenjo-Daro bowl); some samples were annealed (Chanhu-Daro wire and celt). Several techniques of joining were known: running on mehtod (for joining a hilt to tanged sword etc.), soldering gold and silver, riveting, lapping etc.