Sitara

Sitara is our first collaboration for the Karigar Collective - with the artisans of the Bidri community of Bidar, Karnataka.

Bidri is a 500-year old art form, with its roots in an inlay technique developed in Persia. But it is the soil of Bidar that gives it its signature Black and White look, that sets it apart from other forms of inlay. The craft is so iconic and distinctive that it has its own GI (Geographical Indications) registry also. This means that for any piece to be called Bidri, it must be made in Bidar only.

Bidri is an intensive hand-crafting process of ornamentation. First, the metal object to be adorned is carved by hand with intricately detailed designs. The next step is to inlay (or fill) the carved designs with pure Silver. The newly gilded object is now ready for its magical transformation. The Bidri artisans boil it in a special solution, that has in it a specific soil from Bidar. This turns the entire object black, except for the Silver fillings which shine through in their original colour. The result is the natural Black and White art that Bidri is known as.

Traditionally Bidri was used as an elaborate ornamentation on accessories like water jugs, thaalis, paan boxes etc for the Nizams and other Deccan kings. We have adapted their techniques into modern Indian Bidri jewellery (from Bidar!) for You.