• Abdul is a fourth-generation practitioner of a 500-year-old Indian metalsmithing technique
• He leads the family workshop while training young artisans and his own children
• His objects can only be made using soil from a 15th-century fort in south India

Mohammed Abdul Bari works with Bidriware, a centuries-old tradition of inlaying pure silver into a darkened metal alloy. His family workshop is located in Bidar, a walled city in South India that gave the craft its name and its main material. The soil used to blacken each finished piece is collected by hand exclusively from a 15th-century fort in the city. When applied as a paste to the cast metal, it turns the alloy into a permanent velvety black, leaving every silver line untouched. Today, Mohammed creates decorative boxes, trays, vases and large contemporary installations. “My father taught me the craft in a way I could never have learned anywhere else,” he says. “My aim is to preserve this ancient craft and ensure its continuity.”