This is a 9-inch, 1.2kg hand-cast brass sculpture of a turtle, made entirely by hand by a tribal artisan in India using a technique that is over 4,000 years old called Dhokra.

The Technique Dhokra is an ancient lost-wax metalcasting technique practised by tribal communities across central and eastern India. The artisan builds your piece entirely in beeswax by hand — every ridge of the herringbone shell, every coil of the neck, every detail of the four outstretched flippers pressed in by thumb and tool. That wax sculpture is wrapped in clay and fired. The heat melts the wax away, leaving a hollow cavity in the exact shape of the piece. Molten brass is poured in to fill it. Once cooled, the clay mould is broken open by hand — and destroyed. No mould is ever used twice.

GI-Tagged Dhokra is GI-tagged — a Government of India certification that works like a protected designation of origin, similar to Champagne in France or Stilton in England. It is a guarantee of provenance: that this piece is authentic, made by tribal artisan communities using traditional methods passed down across generations. Not a factory. Not a machine. Hands that have carried this craft for 4,000 years.

About This Piece The turtle is one of the most auspicious creatures in existence — the second avatar of Vishnu, the preserver of the universe. In Vastu Shastra — the Indian science of space and energy — a turtle placed in the home is said to bring longevity, protection, and deep-rooted stability. It is the energy of something that endures.

At 9 inches across and 1.2 kilograms, this piece has genuine physical presence. It does not sit quietly. It anchors the space it inhabits.

Sustainably Made, Naturally Rooted From the clay of the fields to the wax of the forests, every element is drawn from nature. No factories. No moulds replicated by machine. Just hands, tradition, and earth.

Ethically Sourced, Artisan-Centric We work directly with the artisans who make these pieces, ensuring fair compensation and honouring their craft. We never bargain with the hands that create magic.