Jewelry
From India...
Items
made of brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, come to SELFHELP Crafts from the
northern Indian village of Moradabad, where artisans work in small family
workshops. Casting, assembling,
etching and other procedures are each done by specialists.
Even polishing is an exacting skill, for it is that, and not modern
shellacs, that gives this brass its deep luster.
Brass
can be finished in ways other than polishing.
Some items are coated with enamel, baked to set the colour, and then
engraved. Others are oxidized, dipped in a blackening chemical, and
then decoratively etched to reveal a shiny layer of gold-coloured brass.
Brass
is one of many items marketed by SELFHELP Crafts, a job creation program
helping disadvantaged people in 25 countries around the world.
