Caption:The core is made of metal wrapped with rag

Caption:The core is covered with a mixture of clay and chaff

Caption:Kukis watching the process

Caption:The clay covered core is wrapped with wax

Caption:The wax is trimmed to the right shape with a knife

Caption:A criss-cross design is incised on the wax with a sharp bamboo sliver

Caption:The wax and core are covered with a clay and chaff mixture

Caption:Close-up of Kuki craftsman. The casting cracked due to, the old man said, the large audience attracted by my presence. I had considerable difficulty in persuading the old man to allow me to watch the process and the large audience was the final straw. This was another example of the common belief that anything which is too much talked about or attracts too much attention will fail, or be marred as a result. I have met this almost everywhere among the hill tribes.

Caption:The mould is placed in the furnace. The bellows can be seen on the left

Caption:The moulds are removed from the furnace after the metal has been poured in

Caption:Trimming the cast pipe-bowl with a file