The artisans of Tikamgarh, a small town in Madhya Pradesh, have been working with bell metal for around three centuries now. They follow a process known as lost wax casting, where the mould is made out of wax. The mould is protected by a clay or mud-casing and yields an intricate hollowness when melted away. This space is then used to pour the molten metal in it to create exquisite pieces of art.

Historically, the primary clientele of metalware crafts was the royalty. They were also keen to have cannons and other war weapons made with this process. Other than that, farming tools and cattle bells were also made with bell metal casting. Wax plays the biggest role and it is the primary tool. It brings intricacy to the sculpture difficult to achieve with other materials. Besides, it can be used and reused multiple times. The fine patterns made through wax casing are inspired by regional architectural elements. These include jaalis (lattice) and jharokas (window arches), and the flora and fauna from local forests.

Among the several folk tales that surround the origins of this craft, one is of the youngest of 12 brothers from a farmer family, uninterested in the family occupation. Exhausted with work, the boy would sit under a tree and play around with clay. He then began making figures out of it. When they developed cracks, he began using gum to fix it. This made the finishing of the figures rather rustic. It is said that he further refined the process and came up with the art of wax casing. It is an anecdotal account, only alive in oral folk retelling.

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