Brass is any alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties. Brass is a substitutional alloy. Brass has a muted yellow color, somewhat similar to gold. It is relatively resistant to tarnishing, and is often used as decoration and for coins. The craft is practiced by the people of the Kansari caste who can be broadly described as metalsmiths while a particular variety, dhokra, is practiced mainly by sithulias and hand carved by some of the finest sculpture artists of India. The largest concentration of the former is Kantilo and Balakati in Puri district although fairly substantial numbers are found in Cuttack, Ganjam and Sambalpur districts.
