Assam Bell-Metal Craft
The xorai and the bota — Assam's welcome, beaten from copper and tin.
Sarthebari, in Barpeta district, is the centre of Assam's bell-metal industry, working an alloy of copper and tin into the vessels that fill an Assamese home and shrine: the footed xorai used to offer betel nut, gifts and prasad; the water-pot-shaped bota; plates (kahi), bowls (bati), tumblers, lamps and the tal cymbals used in kirtan. The finished ware is a pale golden colour, rings clearly when struck, and is central to Bihu, weddings and religious ceremony, where a xorai is offered to elders and honoured guests.
Craft at a Glance
Origin
Sarthebari, Assam
Also Known As
Kanh craft, Sarthebari bell metal, xorai making
Craft Type
Bell-metal sheet forming and casting
Practising Community
Orja and Kohar bell-metal and brass smiths, organised through the Sarthebari cooperative society
Materials
Copper and tin (about four parts to one) for the bell-metal alloy; charcoal for the forge; tamarind pulp and wood ash for cleaning; lac for filling hollow handles and joining parts.
Known For
The footed xorai offering stand and other ritual bell-metal vessels of Assam
Where It's Made
Sarthebari and Sualkuchi belt in Barpeta and Kamrup districts; Hajo for brass, Assam
Time to Create
Two to six days per vessel, depending on size and the amount of chasing
GI Status
Not GI-registered; Assam's Muga silk from the same region is GI-protected
Process Steps
Alloying and casting the blank
Copper and tin are melted together to the bell-metal ratio and cast into heavy circular discs or ingots.
Hot forging
The disc is heated and hammered over an anvil by a team of smiths to begin drawing up the body of the vessel.
Annealing
The work-hardened metal is reheated between hammering rounds so it stays workable and does not crack.
Cold hammering and raising
Further hammering, cold and precise, forms the neck, shoulder and foot from the same piece of metal.
Turning and truing
The vessel is mounted on a hand lathe and trued so its rim and profile are even.
Chasing the ornament
Decorative bands and borders are punched and chased into the surface with hand tools.
Assembling parts
Separately cast components such as the xorai's lid, finial and foot ring are riveted or lac-joined to the body.
Scouring and polishing
The finished vessel is cleaned with tamarind pulp and ash and burnished to its characteristic golden shine.
Technique Glossary
Bell metal (kanh)
A high-tin bronze that is hard, sonorous and pale gold, used across eastern India for ritual vessels.
Xorai
A footed tray with a conical cover, the central object of Assamese ceremonial offering and a symbol of the state.
Bota
A rounded, narrow-necked bell-metal vessel used to serve betel nut and offerings.
Annealing
Reheating work-hardened metal so it can be hammered further without cracking.
Raising
Forming a hollow vessel from a flat disc by hammering it over stakes, without cutting or soldering the body.
Chasing
Decorating metal by punching and pushing the surface from the front with shaped tools.
Lac joining
Using melted lac resin to fix handles, finials and fittings and to fill hollow parts for strength.
A Craft Through Time
Pre-colonial
Ahom patronage
The Ahom kings settle metalworking families and use bell-metal vessels in court and temple ritual.
18th–19th century
Sarthebari and Hajo as centres
These towns concentrate the craft, with most households involved in some stage of production.
Early 20th century
The cooperative
Sarthebari's artisans form one of Assam's earliest cooperative societies to pool metal purchase and marketing.
20th century
A cultural symbol
The xorai becomes a standard emblem of Assamese identity, given at every ceremony and public honour.
Present
Under pressure
Steel and aluminium vessels and rising copper and tin prices squeeze the trade, though ritual demand keeps it alive.
Did You Know?
No Assamese Bihu greeting, wedding or religious ceremony is considered complete without a xorai — often filled with betel nut, a gamosa cloth and sweets — offered to elders and guests.
Every craft has a story. Every story begins with tradition.