
Somnath Karmakar
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Original price ₹2,445.00 - Original price ₹2,445.00Original price ₹2,445.00₹2,495.00₹2,495.00 - ₹2,495.00Current price ₹2,495.00| /
Dokra Tribal Lady Brass Candle Stand
Somnath Karmakar
Made to order. Making time: 17 days1 reviewIlluminate your home and senses with this beautiful Dokra tribal lady candle stand. The vintage piece handcrafted using brass metal is immersed in ...
View full detailsOriginal price ₹2,445.00 - Original price ₹2,445.00Original price ₹2,445.00₹2,495.00₹2,495.00 - ₹2,495.00Current price ₹2,495.00| / -
Original price ₹2,975.00 - Original price ₹2,975.00Original price ₹2,975.00₹3,025.00₹3,025.00 - ₹3,025.00Current price ₹3,025.00| /
Dokra Brass Boat Showpiece
Somnath Karmakar
Made to order. Making time: 17 days1 reviewSail through history with this unique Dokra boat showpiece. Dokra is named after the Dhokra Damar tribe, the traditional metalsmiths of West Bengal...
View full detailsOriginal price ₹2,975.00 - Original price ₹2,975.00Original price ₹2,975.00₹3,025.00₹3,025.00 - ₹3,025.00Current price ₹3,025.00| / -
Original price ₹2,710.00 - Original price ₹2,710.00Original price ₹2,710.00₹2,760.00₹2,760.00 - ₹2,760.00Current price ₹2,760.00| /
Dokra Tribal Man Brass Pen Stand
Somnath Karmakar
Made to order. Making time: 17 days1 reviewDo you have a love for the written word or know someone who does? This immaculate Dokra tribal man pen stand handcrafted in brass serves as the per...
View full detailsOriginal price ₹2,710.00 - Original price ₹2,710.00Original price ₹2,710.00₹2,760.00₹2,760.00 - ₹2,760.00Current price ₹2,760.00| / -
Original price ₹1,375.00 - Original price ₹1,375.00Original price ₹1,375.00₹1,425.00₹1,425.00 - ₹1,425.00Current price ₹1,425.00| /
Dokra Tribal Lady Brass Pen Stand
Somnath Karmakar
Made to order. Making time: 17 days1 reviewReach out to your prized writing instruments from this charming brass piece and let the words flow. This meticulously handcrafted Dokra tribal lady...
View full detailsOriginal price ₹1,375.00 - Original price ₹1,375.00Original price ₹1,375.00₹1,425.00₹1,425.00 - ₹1,425.00Current price ₹1,425.00| / -
Original price ₹2,800.00 - Original price ₹2,800.00Original price ₹2,800.00₹2,850.00₹2,850.00 - ₹2,850.00Current price ₹2,850.00| /
Dokra Dance Troop Brass Figurine
Somnath Karmakar
Made to order. Making time: 17 days1 reviewDance to the tunes of art and history with this traditional Dokra dance troupe showpiece. Intricately handcrafted in brass by Dokra artisans, it le...
View full detailsOriginal price ₹2,800.00 - Original price ₹2,800.00Original price ₹2,800.00₹2,850.00₹2,850.00 - ₹2,850.00Current price ₹2,850.00| / -
Original price ₹490.00 - Original price ₹490.00Original price ₹490.00₹515.00₹515.00 - ₹515.00Current price ₹515.00| /
Dokra Plaited Hair Tribal Lady Figurine
Somnath Karmakar
Made to order. Making time: 17 days1 reviewHandcrafted with care, this intricate Dokra figurine of a tribal lady with plaited hair breathes history and culture. Place it atop your bedside ta...
View full detailsOriginal price ₹490.00 - Original price ₹490.00Original price ₹490.00₹515.00₹515.00 - ₹515.00Current price ₹515.00| / -
Original price ₹4,485.00 - Original price ₹4,485.00Original price ₹4,485.00₹4,585.00₹4,585.00 - ₹4,585.00Current price ₹4,585.00| /
Dokra Lakshmi on Elephant Brass Figurine
Somnath Karmakar
Made to order. Making time: 17 days1 reviewBring home the essence of joy and prosperity with this Dokra figurine of Goddess Lakshmi seated atop an elephant. Intricately handcrafted in brass,...
View full detailsOriginal price ₹4,485.00 - Original price ₹4,485.00Original price ₹4,485.00₹4,585.00₹4,585.00 - ₹4,585.00Current price ₹4,585.00| / -
Original price ₹6,350.00 - Original price ₹6,350.00Original price ₹6,350.00₹6,450.00₹6,450.00 - ₹6,450.00Current price ₹6,450.00| /
Dokra Santoshi Maa Brass Figurine
Somnath Karmakar
Made to order. Making time: 17 days1 reviewBless your home with joy and fulfilment with this exquisite brass figurine of Santoshi maa. Its fine craftsmanship will certainly pique an observer...
View full detailsOriginal price ₹6,350.00 - Original price ₹6,350.00Original price ₹6,350.00₹6,450.00₹6,450.00 - ₹6,450.00Current price ₹6,450.00| / -
Original price ₹6,885.00 - Original price ₹6,885.00Original price ₹6,885.00₹6,985.00₹6,985.00 - ₹6,985.00Current price ₹6,985.00| /
Dokra Durga Maa Brass Figurine
Somnath Karmakar
Made to order. Making time: 17 days1 reviewAn aesthetically pleasing brass figurine of Goddess Durga in her mighty avatar, this Dokra showpiece reflects excellent craftsmanship and the craft...
View full detailsOriginal price ₹6,885.00 - Original price ₹6,885.00Original price ₹6,885.00₹6,985.00₹6,985.00 - ₹6,985.00Current price ₹6,985.00| / -
Original price ₹6,350.00 - Original price ₹6,350.00Original price ₹6,350.00₹6,450.00₹6,450.00 - ₹6,450.00Current price ₹6,450.00| /
Dokra Kali Mata Brass Figurine
Somnath Karmakar
Made to order. Making time: 17 days1 reviewBringing history and mythology to life, this beautifully handcrafted Dokra figurine of Goddess Kali is certain to pique an onlooker's interest. Car...
View full detailsOriginal price ₹6,350.00 - Original price ₹6,350.00Original price ₹6,350.00₹6,450.00₹6,450.00 - ₹6,450.00Current price ₹6,450.00| /
Somnath Karmakar is a member of the Bikna co-operative, a craft hub Shiplagram in Bankura district of Bengal housing nearly eighty-one families. Dokra is a five thousand year old craft.
Bikna is a humble craft village with many kaccha and pukka huts standing next to each other with almost no usable toilets. Members of the cluster share a common workspace. This helps them bond well as a community and pitch in when orders are too large for a single family. The children go to school and join in when they return.
Somnath is a twenty-three-year old man who is well educated and versed with technology and photography. He represents the community in their marketing efforts by sharing images of products and co-ordinating with customers. He confesses a deep fear of contracting the Covid19 virus. “We all live so close together. Social distancing is impossible. Some nights I cannot even sleep properly just thinking about it.”, he confesses.
He explains how each figurine takes 5-7 days to craft, graft, cast, bake, dry and polish. Usually the finest craftsmen make the design first after which the women sculpt the basic structure with mud. The men generally work with fire and complete the steps of casting and baking the idol.
Most of the artists in this cluster concur that the current government has done a lot for them. Even the land they live on was given to them by the government. Their sales take place through annual fairs organized by central and state government, exhibitions facilitated by NGOs, and orders from Biswa Bangla (the government craft shop). Every weekend, the craft village turns in a mini fair with all families displaying their products in the common area so tourists can buy directly from the artisans. This weekly haat is an event that every villager looks forward as the sales are immediate and help them with financial liquidity.
Earlier the mud was sourced from open land and farms but now it must be bought. The price of brass has also gone up. The rise in price of raw materials is not proportional to the growth in selling price of final products. The price of a product is determined by size, weight, and design intricacy of the product.
Their only mode of entertainment is the local news and other programs on regional channels. Although the government provides rations to all the families and some NGOs have also offered support, work has come to a grinding halt. Orders have been cancelled. However, the Biswa Bangla, the government craft emporium, has promised to buy products. Currently only those with working capital are able-to continue their work. There are no direct competitors to the Bikna cluster, but they are planning to work on more innovative finishing techniques to help their urban market grow.
Orders generally come through the year and so no seasonal factors affect demand and supply. Unfortunately, several health problems crop up in the long-term practise of dokra; long hours of sitting leads to eye problems; exposure to fire causes respiratory issues.