Originally created as toys by repurposing old utensils, the brass fish made in Belaguntha in the Ganjam district of Odisha, India, are distinctive for their lifelike flexibility. Locally called pitala macha meaning “brass fish”, they are commonly known as Ganjam fish. The craft is traditionally practised by Odisha’s Kansari community of brass and bell metal workers, though few artisans today make these objects. Regarded as a symbol of peace, the brass fish are also associated with the Matsya, or fish, avatar of Vishnu. The artefacts are considered auspicious by the community, and traditionally included among other significant objects in a bride’s trousseau, as symbols of good luck. While there is little information about the origins and early development of the craft, it is understood to have originated around the ninth century and grown in popularity during the seventeenth century. 

Made using brass sheets and brass wire, the fish comprises three main components — the head, the torso and the tail, which are made in that order and then assembled. A brass sheet of the desired size is shaped into a conical form to create the head, with small protrusions and openings introduced for the eyes and mouth. The size of the head determines that of the torso, which is made of a large number of circular segments of diminishing size, threaded together with wire in a way that allows for fluid movement. Each segment is a ring shaped from a flat strip of brass, with one scalloped edge that gives the impression of fish scales; every centimetre of the fish body requires between one and three such segments. A rounded or forked tail, made of two identical flat pieces of brass, is attached to the last torso section. Finally, fins and whiskers are attached, as well as details such as eyes, which are typically represented using small bright stones that offer a striking colour contrast to the rest of the fish. The flexibility of the object, deriving from its precisely constructed and meticulously linked elements, is known to increase as it is used over time.