Bronze Dhokra Work Money Box From Kandhamal – 19th Century

From Odisha’s Kandhamal district, this 19th-century bronze money box showcases the Dhokra Damar tribe’s enduring lost-wax casting tradition. Once used daily to safeguard cash and valuables, it bears diagonal ribbing and patterned bands, a hinged lid with a stylised peacock finial, a symbol of beauty and protection in Indian culture. The whole money box is mellowed by a rich, earthy patina.

Each Dhokra piece is unique: the form is first modeled in beeswax, layered with clay (traditionally from termite hills), fired, and then cast in molten bronze; the clay mold is broken to release the finished box, which is cleaned and detailed by hand.

• Origin: Kandhamal, Odisha, India
• Date: Late 19th century
• Tribe: Dhokra Damar
• Style: Tribal Dhokra metalwork
• Material: Bronze
• Technique: Lost-wax casting (cire perdue) with termite-hill clay mold
• Features: Peacock finial, hinged lid, loop-and-ring closure, decorative ribbing and banding
• Finish: Naturally aged patina with wear consistent with age