Wrought Bell metal crafts in Malabar and Nilgiri finds: by Prof Sharada
Channel: National Institute of Advanced Studies
Date: 2022-11-17

Remnant Music, Re-cycled Metal: The wrought bell metal vessel and cymbal makers of the Malabar (duration nearly 50 min)
The Kammalar, or bronze workers, were part of a once powerful five-fold kinship of artisans in southern India mentioned in medieval Chola Tamil inscriptions.  Surviving communities in Palakkad district of Kerala made óttupatram’ or resonant vessels of ‘bell metal’, by hot forging and quenching high-tin beta (23% tin) bronze.  The archaeometallurgical parallels with remarkable finely forged high tin beta bronze vessels analysed from megalithic/Iron Age contexts such as from Adichanallur, Kodumanal and Nilgiris of the early to late first millennium BCE suggest that this was a hoary tradition.  
Such vessels were prized by the pastoral indigenous Toda community of the Nilgiris.  Barely a few Kammalar still practice this ancient metal craft, making ilatalam or musical cymbals, which are performed during temple rituals with caparisoned elephants carrying processional icons.  

#SharadaSrinivasan #hightinbronze #Malabar #Nilgirs #Todas# Adichanallur #Palakkad #Archaeometallurgy #cymbals