Ganga-Jumna

An interesting example of the combination of different metals is the method Ganga-Jumna or Ganga-Yamuna (Ganga-Jamuna), named after the confluence of the Ganges and Jamna rivers in Allahabad. This method was used in ancient India for making the metal objects by consistent casting them from two different metals or alloys, mainly copper and bronze.

The Ganga-Jamna is considered one of the techniques of casting metal into metal. It is used in different regions of India and is called bidri, koftagiri, zarnishan and tarkashi.

Scythian founders were also very skilful in such casting: some cauldrons were made with metal parts, which were connected then by liquid metal. In such cases the connecting "lock" had the shape of pins, rivets with a head on the reverse side. It could partially or completely wrap around the basic shape. Archaeologists found bimetallic Scythian horseman’s picks made of iron and bronze.

Ancient Chinese masters made moulds for casting from clay, adjusting the sash to each other, turning them to the wall thickness of the future casting. The seams and joints between them were not filling of extra clay. Metal poured inside and foundry seams were an element of the decor of finished products. The cast parts of the future bimetallic item were placed in a mould and filled with liquid metal, and they connected. This method, for example, was used to create a vessel with a bronze body and iron legs. Ancient methods of metal-to-metal casting, such as Ganga-Jumna, are considered lost; a similar method is called a bimetallic casting now.

In ancient times bimetallic jewellery was rarely made. In the modern jewelry art such items have not only the decorative function, but they are the author's message, which shows the desire to create something inaccessible to modern technology. Today the method of casting metal into metal is unique, very time-consuming, requires deep knowledge and experience. That is why such pieces of jewelry are very rare. There is almost no information about it.

The specifics of my author's pieces created by the method of double or hybrid casting are:

- metal, which moulded the second time, is a poured part to the first metal;

- metal, which moulded the second time, is not a poured part to the first metal; the metals are independent, three-dimensional elements of the artistic composition of the work.

Due to the obvious differences in the creation of the jewelry by common methods from bimetallic casting, I introduced and began to use the following terms: hybrid casting, double casting, metal on metal casting, and metal into metal casting. For further division of bimetallic casting by types of different metals and (or) alloys, I introduced and began to use names consisting of the first three letters of the names of the main chemical elements and the Latin suffix: Titargium - titanium, silver; Titaurium - titanium, gold; Titargaurium - titanium, silver, gold; Cupargium - copper, silver; Cupaurium - copper, gold; Cupargaurium - copper, silver, gold; Argaurium - silver, gold; when gold of different alloys and colours is used - Auraurium, Biaurium.

Stanislav Drokin. Contemporary jewelry art. Traditions and innovations // Scientific Journal of the National Museum of History of Ukraine. - 2020. - No6. - P. 464–470.