Bell Metal

‘Kansa,’ a unique alloy with a high proportion of tin to copper, used for making utensils for ritual and household use - the molten metal is moulded into shape before being cut and machine-tooled, finished by polishing the object with traditional materials such as sand and tamarind juice and occasionally beating the surface using a hammer.

‘Kantilo,’ a craft named after a small town on the banks of the Mahanadi river in the Nayagarh district of Odisha, where it is practised. It is also referred to as Bell Metal and has a unique process of hand moulding and beating metal to give its form and finish. Also a copper and tin alloy, Kantilo boasts a higher ratio of copper to tin, allowing the subsequent result to be more malleable in nature.