The Harappan bronze statues were made using which technique?

The bronze figures of the Harappan civilisation were made using the "lost-wax" casting technique (also called "cire perdue").

How the lost-wax technique works:

• First, the artist makes a model of the figure in wax.
• The wax model is covered with layers of clay, leaving a small hole.
• When the clay dries, the mould is heated; the wax melts and flows out through the hole ("lost" wax), leaving a hollow space inside the clay mould.
• Molten metal (bronze, copper or another metal) is poured into the mould.
• When the metal cools and hardens, the clay mould is broken to reveal the metal figure.
• Each mould can be used only once, so each figure is unique.

Harappan metal figures:

• Harappan metal sculptures include human figures, and animals such as a buffalo, a ram and a goat.
• These objects show the Harappans' skill in metal-working.

Bronze in the Harappan civilisation:

• Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.
• It is harder and more durable than copper.
• The Harappans used bronze for tools, weapons, vessels and statues.

The lost-wax tradition in India:

• The technique is still used in India today.
• Many famous temple bronzes of south India were made by this method.
• The "Dhokra" craft of tribal communities in West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh uses the lost-wax method.
• Swamimalai in Tamil Nadu is famous for bronze icons made in this way.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Repoussé is a method of hammering metal from the back to create a design.
• ✗Sand casting is a different technique that uses sand moulds.
• ✗Welding was not used by the Harappans to make statues.