Brass Making in Angulmaduwa
Ranna212 offers you a unique opportunity to visit a traditional brass making workshop in Angulmaduwa, and observe skilled artisans at work.
Traditional brass adornments have added beauty to households for centuries. They are considered a symbol of prosperity in Sri Lanka, with the brass pahana (oil lamp) ubiquitous at every ceremony. Angulmaduwa is believed to be one of the oldest villages of brass craftsmanship. Here, the craftsmen still engage in the traditional 'lost wax' method of production. Although it is highly labour and time intensive, it produces exceptionally fine quality and detail.
Rohana, a skilled brass maker in the area, showed us his authentic workshop made of clay walls and thatched roof to explain the exhaustive procedure.
Brass is a malleable alloy of copper and zinc.
By varying the proportion of the two ingredients, a range of brass, of different colours can be produced, of which golden yellow brass is the most popular.
Copper is added first, then the Iron and heated at around 1100°C.
Sri Lanka's brassware industry, now very much a part of the country's culture and national crafts, is widely believed to have originated during the Dutch colonial era. It is also possible to have arrived from the Indian Subcontinent.
Legend has it that king Dutugamunu, developed the brass industry in the Angulmaduwa region for the production of brass armaments, to defeat his nemesis, King Elara. Sadly, the brass industry in the area is declining rapidly and is now centered around the Pilimatalawa area, close to Kandy.
There are 5 main processes involved in Brass Making:
There's 2 ways of casting unpolished brass:
1)a)Creating mould using the 'lost wax' method
The model required is made using a mixture of clay and sand. It is then sculpted in wax and covered in clay. A hole is made at the top so that when it is baked; the wax melts out, leaving behind a clay mould. Molten brass is then poured into the clay and left to harden. This entire process can take up to 10 days since the clay needs to be completely dry before it can be baked. Once the mould is made in this manner, it can be used for a very long time.
Below: Clay and Sand mould being shaped
b) Moulding can also be done using a mixture of silica, bentonite clay, and sand. The mixture is moistened, typically with water to develop strength and plasticity and to make the aggregate suitable for moulding. The models are placed in an open box frame and filled to the top with the mixture. A mould cavity is created by compacting the mixture around the models. Molten brass is then poured into the mould cavity through a small hole made in the mixture and left to harden.
Below: Mould cavity being made
2) The moulded pieces are combined together with wire.
3) The welding process coalesces and joins the pieces together. Welding brass is not as straightforward as other metals because copper and zinc have very different melting points (zincs is much lower). The zinc content determines the strength of the flame needed to weld.
4)Shining -The unpolished item is scraped with a blunt chisel like tool as it rotates on a mounted wheel. This process takes only around 5 minutes.
5) Polishing - The item is scraped against a vibrating wheel to reveal a golden glossy surface. Different wheels are used to attain different finishes. The sparkly Brass items are now ready for sale!
Make sure you check out Rohana's showroom if you're looking to purchase funky brass ornaments.