Antique Lost Wax Hinged Box/ Tribal India Cast Bronze Dhokra Folk Art Primitive

This vintage cast bronze alloy box was made by an indigenous tribe in eastern India. They use a casting method called lost wax, or Dhokra (also spelled Dokra). The thing about lost wax is that it creates the illusion of small lines etched into the metal. The vertical lines actually form bars or rails, ever so slightly open in between each one except where the horizontal lines go all the way around. The tribes that create Dhokra metal works were originally nomadic, but later settled on the planes of Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh primarily. Dhokra casting has been used for more than 4,000 years. We know this piece is likely from eastern India because of its hollow casting, which is characteristic of Dhokra in that region. The slightly bulbous shaped box is hinged and opens; the interior is metal. A small bird, probably a peacock, is perched atop the lid.