How brass and copper décor is made in India
Most export brassware comes from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. The town was declared a Town of Export Excellence for handicrafts under the Foreign Trade Policy 2023, and "Moradabad Metal Craft" is a registered Geographical Indication (application 161, certificate dated 31 March 2014). EPCH, the handicrafts export council, reports artmetalware exports of ₹4,349.83 crore in FY2025-26, from DGCI&S data.
Three ways of working cover most pieces:
- Sand casting. Molten brass is poured into sand moulds for figurines, bells, candle stands, handles and heavy bowls. The casting is then filed, turned and polished. Porosity and incomplete fill start here.
- Sheet work. Brass or copper sheet is spun on a lathe, hammered or pressed into vases, planters, trays and bowls. Parts are joined by soldering or brazing, so joint lines and solder colour need checking.
- Plating. A cheaper body of iron or aluminium is electroplated with brass or copper. It looks the same on day one but wears through at edges and rusts if the base is iron.
Finishing is a separate trade. Pieces are buffed bright, darkened with chemicals for an "antique" look, engraved or hammered by hand, then usually sealed with lacquer. Work often moves between several small units before the exporter packs it, so the finish on one order may come from more than one workshop.
What we check on brass and copper décor
| Check | How it is checked | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Base metal | Magnet on every sampled piece; light scratch on a hidden spot where the buyer allows it | Magnet sticks on "solid brass", grey or silver metal under the surface |
| Weight | Scale against the approved sample and the specification | Pieces clearly lighter: thinner sheet, hollow casting or a different alloy |
| Casting quality | Close look at faces, edges and inside recesses under a bright lamp | Pinholes, sand inclusions, cracks, cold shuts, filled holes that show through the finish |
| Joints | Solder and braze lines checked and flexed by hand on handles and feet | Gaps, excess solder, loose handles, dark lines left after polishing |
| Lacquer | Raking light over every face, underside and inside; feel for tacky areas | Bare patches, runs, trapped dust, fingerprints sealed under lacquer, sticky film |
| Finish match | Pieces lined up beside the approved sample in daylight | Antique tone too light or too dark, patchy oxidation, polish swirls on a mirror finish |
| Edges and stability | Gloved hand round rims and cut-outs; piece set on a flat surface | Sharp sheet edges or burrs, a vase or candle stand that rocks |
Alloy and lead content are lab tests. We can pull and seal samples for an accredited lab of your choice.
Common brass and copper décor defects and how they are classed
| Defect | Typical class | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sharp rim or burr on a handled surface | Critical | Can cut the user |
| Plated iron or aluminium where solid brass was ordered | Major (and a contract issue) | Wrong product; plating wears and iron rusts |
| Missing lacquer, early tarnish spots, green verdigris | Major | Spreads in transit and in the shop |
| Casting porosity or crack on a visible face | Major | Visible on a decorative piece; cracks can open |
| Antique finish outside the agreed range | Major or minor | Depends on how far it is from the sample and on set matching |
| Small polish marks, slight hammer-mark variation | Minor | Hand-made character within tolerance |
Write the tolerance for hand-made variation into the order. Without it, every hammer mark becomes an argument.
Market rules that apply
- EU: lead as a substance of very high concern. Lead has been on the REACH Candidate List since 27 June 2018, and brass often contains it. Above 0.1% by weight in an article, the supplier must pass on safe-use information and the EU importer must notify ECHA's SCIP database. See EU REACH.
- EU: small items children may mouth. REACH Annex XVII entry 63, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2015/628, bars articles with 0.05% lead or more if children may put them in their mouths. An article smaller than 5 cm in one dimension, or with a detachable part that size, is treated as mouthable. Small bells, beads and figurines are the risk items. An exemption applies if lead release stays at or below 0.05 µg/cm² per hour.
- California. Lead is listed under Prop 65, so exposed brass may need a warning.
- Food use. A bowl, tray or tumbler sold for food becomes kitchenware. FDA warned in August 2025 against certain imported brass and aluminium cookware that leached lead. If the piece is decorative only, mark it so; if not, see FDA food contact and EU 1935/2004.
Packing, transit and loading risks
- Tarnish from handling. Bare fingers leave salts that etch brass and copper within days. Packers should wear gloves, and pieces should be wrapped in clean tissue or anti-tarnish paper.
- Humidity. A container crossing the tropics gets damp. Silica gel sachets and sealed polybags protect pieces with thin lacquer.
- Dents. Spun and hammered sheet dents easily. Vases and bowls need a rigid insert or moulded pulp, not loose paper.
- Nested sets. Bowls and planters packed one inside another scratch each other unless a layer separates every piece.
- Weight. Cast brass is heavy for its size. Check carton grade and gross weight, and keep heavy cartons low during container loading.
What to put in your purchase order
- Metal for each part: solid brass, solid copper, or plated, with the base metal named.
- Sheet thickness or piece weight, with a tolerance.
- Finish name and reference sample, lacquer type, and whether insides and undersides are lacquered.
- Your lead limit for the alloy if you sell in the EU or California, and who pays for the lab test.
- "Decorative only, not for food use" marking if the piece looks like serveware.
- Packing: gloves, anti-tarnish wrap, desiccant, rigid inserts, separators in nested sets.
Buying clad furniture as well? See brass and metal-clad furniture. Send the list with your inspection booking.
Sources
- EPCH press release: Moradabad and Varanasi declared Towns of Export Excellence (2023)
- IP India GI Registry: Moradabad Metal Craft, application 161
- EPCH: exports of handicrafts by product group (DGCI&S data)
- ECHA: Candidate List of substances of very high concern
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/628 amending REACH Annex XVII entry 63 (lead)
- FDA: warning about imported cookware that may leach lead (August 2025)