In many ways, Jaidev Baghel, winner of India’s National Craftsman Award in 1977, underscores the fragile and contested notion of “traditional craftsman.” While on the one hand he proudly traces his own descent from several generations of casters, he is noted for innovation. Indeed, he no longer describes himself as a master craftsman but as a sculptor. His self-identity as Adivasi (tribal) also marks out a very self-conscious fashioning of his place not just in Bastar but also in India. This article will reflect on Baghel’s practice.