Brass showpieces are up for sale at an Aarong outlet in Dhaka. The use of brass metal has revived over the past two decades.Photo: Syed Zakir HossainIt was customary for kings and jaminders in ancient Bengal to wear ornate items at home and work -- made of gold, silver and brass, a clear display of social and financial status.
These precious and semi-precious metals were mostly used in war and for military use to make weapons such as sword handles, shields, tridents, spears and tanks.
In addition, kings used metals like gold and silver, but mostly brass, to construct temple spires or gods and goddesses during Durga Puja, according to Banglapedia.
As the prices of gold and silver went beyond the reach of many, its use declined. However, the use of brass was such that it was unlikely to find a household that did not own brass souvenirs or kitchen utensils or at least cutlery, even in rural areas.
Those were the bygone days.
Over the years, porcelain, ceramics and melamine products replaced the use of brass metal at home. On the war front as well, modern technology has nulled the use of the metal in making weapons.
In the 1950s, brass was struggling to make a presence and primarily used only to make locks, gears, automobile bearings, doorknobs, ammunition, zippers and electrical applications.
However, the use of brass metal revived over the past two decades, as it was mainly used in producing a wide range of showpieces that won the hearts of the urban population. The pieces were ideal for gifts and became popular both home and abroad.
Brass is widely used in producing musical instruments such as horns, trumpets, guitar strings and bells, for its acoustic properties.
Currently annual brass item sales are worth around Tk 25,000 crore with Aarong in the lead, said industry people.
Pradip Kumar Chakroborty, a designer at Aarong, said they revived the use of brass metal by producing handicrafts right after establishing the boutique in 1978.
"The main inspiration behind the use of brass was to relive the good old days through the metal. It was one of the oldest metals used in ancient Bengal," he said. "We developed a wide range of products after researching demand for the product at home and abroad."
Aarong produces several brass metal products, such as decorative photo frames, candle stands, lamps and miniature Buddhas, horses, elephants, ducklings, kittens, rabbits, rickshaws and boats.
Aarong markets these products in eight of its branches across Bangladesh -- in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Sylhet -- and one branch in London.
Today Aarong supports the livelihood of nearly 65,000 rural artisans and handicraft producers -- 85 percent of them are women. There are also hundreds of independent cooperative groups and traditional family-based brass artisans who market their craft through Aarong.
Aarong collects brass products from different parts of the country, including Jamalpur, Tangail, Chapainawabganj, Brahmanbaria, Shariatpur, Lalbagh and Dhamrai, Pradip said.
Raw materials are mainly collected from scrap collectors across the country and then recycled for craftwork, he adds.
In addition to branded boutique shops, the success of Aarong has also inspired individual entrepreneurs to follow suit. Brass metal craft is now being exported from the country.
Presently there are two dedicated brass metal craft markets in Dhaka -- Elephant Road and Gulshan -- that showcase a wide range of products and is popular among antique lovers and collectors.
KM Enamul Haque, CEO of GIT Bangladesh Ltd., said his company produces antique replica and brass metal craft showpieces, including fruit baskets, horses, flowerpots and paperweights.
"We produce mainly to export to different countries. There is a high demand for our products as our cost of production is low," he said. The company exports 80 percent of its total production to the States, Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Haque said his company exported 12,000 pieces of horse showpieces, with sales amounting to $50 million in 2008.
GIT Bangladesh also displays its products at Zia International Airport.
Additionally, brass jewellery, including earrings, bracelets and bangles are becoming popular among urban teens and several boutique houses are ready to serve them.
Brass has come a long was with innovative ideas and marketing schemes and demand for the metal will certainly rise in the days to come.
sayeda@thedailystar.net
