Antique Indian Copper Paandaan
The aath pehel — eight corners, eight panels — was the favoured form for the finest paandaans. More surface. More room for the engraver to work. Each panel its own composition, each corner a sharp transition that the kalam technique negotiates cleanly. This octagonal copper paandaan is 100+ years old...
The Craft
Hand-Hammering
Raised from a flat sheet under thousands of hammer blows, the dimpled surface a record of the making.
Cutwork
Openwork lace pierced clean through the metal by hand with a fine needle.
Engraving / Qalamzani
Cut into the metal line by line with a fine steel chisel, the qalam.
Naqsheen
Floral and geometric patterns chased into the surface freehand by the naqash.
Used in this pieceSand Casting
Molten brass poured into a sand mould packed by hand, then broken open to free the piece.