Made by master craftsmen from Karnataka and Rajasthan, Shatranj is part of IKKIS Limited, a series of numbered and signed decorative objects.
Editions of 21, price on request
Material
Craft
Bidriware is accredited to the Bahmani Sultans who ruled the Bidar district of Karnataka in South India in the 14-15th century. A distinctive and intricate metal handicraft, it is an amalgamation of Turkish, Persian and Arabic aesthetics.
With its main component being soil acquired from the ruins of the Bidar fort, the art form is presented as pure silver inlay on a metal alloy using zinc, copper, lead, tin and traces of iron. Bidar remains compelling for its rich history, religious architecture and bidriware, which is now considered rare and unique to the city.
Craft: Terracotta Miniature pottery, though practiced all over India, finds a special home in Ramgarh, Rajasthan. Apart from the classical technique, there are talents who indulge in Kagzi – a thinner type of pottery that is also said to have originated in Ramgarh – and Miniature which is a much smaller version of pottery. A true feat of craftsmanship, Indian Miniature pottery is the only one of its kind that exists in the world today.
Craftsman
Yasin and Javed, like any other local family of Bidar, are two brothers engaged in the familial tradition of Bidriware for the past 30 years. Starting at a very young age, they studied the materials and techniques from their father.