Horn Works

Creating objects of decoration from horns of animals is a craft of Orissa practiced for many years by the tribes of Santhals, Oraons and Marijas. The craftsmen of Cuttack and Paralakhemundi in Orissa skillfully fashion horns into various objects that are functional and representational of natural objects - birds arrested in flight, animals of prey caught prowling, fighting bulls, fish-guzzling cranes, deer nuzzling their young, elephant rolling logs, combs, pen stands, pipes, lamp shades and others. The horns used are from buffaloes and cows and their crafting involves a long process requiring a high degree of skill and imagination. Contemporary artisans use the cow and buffalo horn to make more utility items like ashtrays, jewelry and combs. Sometimes, horn and silver filigree work are combined to make ornaments. The combined style is more prevalent in Cuttack.

The desired object is carved from the solid part of a horn after soaking it in water. Then the carved piece is heated to a specific temperature and shaped. After that, its surface is smoothed by rubbing it against a sharp stainless steel blade . Necessary bores are made to fix appendages. In the past, eyes were made of the stag antler stick at the center of which a bore was drilled and stuffed with lacquer burnt in a luminous flame. But nowadays, plastic eyes are being used due to non-availability of stag antlers. After drilling bores, light incisions and grooves are made in the required places on the body of the horn. At this stage it is handed over to the women for polishing. They rub the articles first with a sand paper and then with wet Khrshana leaves. The polishing is done till the horn is smooth and shiny. Then it is thoroughly cleaned with water and dried in open air. It is then polished again with cow dung ash or charcoal ash. The various parts are then assembled and stuck together using limestone paste. Finally coconut oil is smeared all over to give the horn work a beautiful sheen.

Source: http://www.craftandartisans.com/dhokra-metal-casting-of-chhattisgarh.html