Bidriware Zinc Silver Inlay Bidar Karnataka Craft

Bidriware, produced exclusively in Bidar district of Karnataka, is a distinctive metal craft created by casting zinc-copper alloy into traditional shapes of hookah bases, vases, trays, and jewelry boxes, then inlaying pure silver wire and sheets into carved designs of arabesques, floral scrolls, and geometric patterns derived from the Bidar Sultanate court art tradition. The surface is oxidised with a special mud-and-sal-ammoniac mixture to turn it jet black, making the silver inlay glow bright white. Bidriware has GI certification and is produced by about 5000 artisans in Bidar. Cooperative training centres teach the craft to new generations while the Bidar Cooperative markets pieces to institutional buyers and international galleries.