SURFACE PATINA AND CLAY CHARACTERIZATION: MULTI-ANALYTICAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO BIDRI HANDICRAFT

Bidri handicraft in India, patronised by Bahamani kings, dates back to the fifteenth century and is nowadays under operational and socio-economic threats. The craft is made of zinc alloy, which poses scientific challenges in the areas of metallurgy, metal oxidation, and surface science. In the present paper, the art, owing to its scientific enigma, is under scrutiny, wherein the handicraft mandates the use of Bidar Fort (in Karnataka, India) clay, which bestows the handicraft its characteristic matt-black patina. The fort is a heritage conservation site and thus poses a threat to the perennial practice of handicraft. Therefore, it is imperative to document the patina and fort clay. Thus, morphological and chemical characterization of Bidri artefact surfaces was accomplished using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ED-XRF); besides, elemental characterization of Bidar fort clay was accomplished using SEM coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). This study is significant, as it is one of the initial works to scientifically document Bidri handicraft surface and clay, besides laying the foundation for future studies; a step to conserve the handicraft; and a step to prevent the deterioration of the Bidar fort monument.