Sheet Embossing - Pembarthi
Pembarti, located at a distance of 60 Kilometers from Warangal, is famous for sheet metal art. Globally renowned for brassware, artifacts, metal tools and objects of daily use, statues, carvings and castings are extensively made in this village using copper alloys like brass and bronze.
Andhra Pradesh has a history of outstanding workmanship of its Metal workers or “Vishwakarmas”, which can be traced back to the grandeur and glory of the Kakatiya Kingdom. Metal Craft attained the pinnacle of perfection in the high degree of skill displayed by the master craftsmen. The Vishwakaramas of Pembarthi were renowned for their rare skill, both in stone and metal sculpture and were patronized by the rulers for building temple, creating ‘Vigrahas’ – idols of the gods, ‘Vahanas’ – the chariots and other artistic accessories of temple sculpture. The brilliance of their artistry is evident in the magnificent Vigrahas, which are an example of moulded crafts and ‘Keerthi Mukha’, ‘Prabha’ – Pinnacles, which adorn many famous temples of South India.
Brass work has become the occupation of many villagers and these wares are also exported to other countries. When iron use was not known copper and alloys were used for making metal tools and objects of daily use. The early social-historical skill later continuously created objects of art. Statues, carvings, castings still continue to be made in attractive copper alloys like bronze and brass. The methods used are still ancient, traditional ones although the raw material today comes from modern mines and furnaces.
