Indian pottery
Encyclopedia
Pottery in the Indian subcontinent has an ancient history and is one of the most tangible and iconic elements of regional art
. Evidence of pottery
has been found in the early settlements of Mehrgarh
from the Indus Valley Civilisation. Today, it is a cultural art that is still practiced extensively in India
and Pakistan
.
Today, pottery thrives as an art form in India, and it is slowly gaining awareness as a functional items as well. Various platforms, including potters' markets and online pottery boutiques such as Saundhi Mitti have contributed to this trend.
in Vedic texts like the Black Yajur Veda and the Taittiriya Samhita. According to his study, Vedic pottery is for example hand-made and unpainted. According to Kuzmina (1983), Vedic pottery that matches Willhelm's Rau description cannot be found in Asia Minor and Central Asia
, though the pottery of Andronovo is similar in some respects.
has noted that there is a continuity between pottery of the third millennium Baluchistan
and second millennium Pirak.
First you need to obtain and prepare the clay. Once the clay is dug up it is then stored in a dry place. The clay is prepared by adding water to obtain a moistened, sticky texture.
Step Two:
The clay is passed through a machine called a pug mill. This improves the consistency and texture of the clay. Traditionally the process was called dancing the clay.
Dancing The Clay:
The clay is thrown on the ground and red sand is added to it. The men then would walk up and down the clay mixing the sand and clay with their feet. This was done until the clay had a smooth and elastic consistency.
Step Three: (Wedging The Clay)
The clay is kneaded by hand on a board and then rolled into a ball.
Step Four: (Throwing A Pot)
This term is used for molding the clay into pottery on the potter's wheel. The clay is centered on the wheel and the potter works the clay vertically up and down with their hands. Some pots are made directly on the wheel while others are made in parts of the wheel and then assembled afterwards.
Step Five: (Drying)
Pots are then set aside to air dry. Some pots are placed in the shade on shelves while others are placed directly in the sun.
Step Six: (Carving)
Designs are now carved into the pottery or etched on the surface with any sharp pointy object or material that is available to them. The carving is done while the clay is only leather dry. After the designs are made the pottery is then set aside to finish the drying process.
Step Seven: (Baking)
The pots are now baked/fired in a kiln or oven. This process can either be done in an electrical oven or a traditional dirt oven. This process removes excess water from the pottery, and as a result the clay hardens. Baking also changes the color of the clay.
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
. Evidence of pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
has been found in the early settlements of Mehrgarh
Mehrgarh
Mehrgarh , one of the most important Neolithic sites in archaeology, lies on the "Kachi plain" of Balochistan, Pakistan...
from the Indus Valley Civilisation. Today, it is a cultural art that is still practiced extensively in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Today, pottery thrives as an art form in India, and it is slowly gaining awareness as a functional items as well. Various platforms, including potters' markets and online pottery boutiques such as Saundhi Mitti have contributed to this trend.
Vedic pottery
Wilhelm Rau (1900) has examined the references to potteryPottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
in Vedic texts like the Black Yajur Veda and the Taittiriya Samhita. According to his study, Vedic pottery is for example hand-made and unpainted. According to Kuzmina (1983), Vedic pottery that matches Willhelm's Rau description cannot be found in Asia Minor and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, though the pottery of Andronovo is similar in some respects.
History
The tradition of pottery-making in India is very old. For thousands of years pottery has been an important form of expression. Pottery is claimed to be the most sensual of all arts. India has a great tradition of pottery making. The real beginning of Indian pottery began with the Indus Valley Civilization. There is proof of pottery being constructed in two ways, handmade and wheel-made. There are more than a million potters in India. These potters are claimed to be wonderful masters of their trade.Indus Valley civilization
According to remains extracted from the Indus Valley Civilisation, Jean-François JarrigeJean-François Jarrige
Jean-François Jarrige is a French archaeologist specializing in South Asian archaeology and Sindhology. He holds a doctorate from the University of Paris in oriental archaeology. He has carried out the excavations in Baluchistan, Mehrgarh and Pirak. In 2004, he became the director of the Musée...
has noted that there is a continuity between pottery of the third millennium Baluchistan
Balochistan (region)
Balochistan or Baluchistan is an arid, mountainous region in the Iranian plateau in Southwest Asia; it includes part of southeastern Iran, western Pakistan, and southwestern Afghanistan. The area is named after the numerous Baloch tribes, Iranian peoples who moved into the area from the west...
and second millennium Pirak.
Styles
Over time India's simple style of molding clay went into an evolution. A number of distinct styles emerged from this simple style. Some of the most popular forms of pottery include unglazed pottery, glazed pottery, terracotta, and papier-mache.Unglazed pottery
This is the oldest form of pottery practiced in India. There are three types of unglazed pottery. First is paper thin pottery, biscuit-colored pottery decorated with incised patterns. Next is the scrafito technique; the pot is polished and painted with red and white slips along with intricate patterns. The third is polished pottery; this type of pottery is strong and deeply incised, and has stylized patterns of arabesques.Glazed pottery
This era of pottery began in the 12th century AD. This type of pottery contains a white background and has blue and green patterns. Glazed pottery is only practiced in selected regions of the country.Terracotta
A style of pottery wherein women prepare clay figures to propitiate their gods and goddesses, during festivals. In Moela deities are created with molded clay on a flat surface. They are then fired and painted in bright colors. Other parts of India use this style to make figures like horses with riders, and other votives.Papier-mache
This type of pottery is made from paper pulp, which is coarsely mashed and mixed with copper sulphate and rice-flour paste. It is then shaped by covering the mould with a thin paper and then applying layers of the mixture. The designers then sketch designs on them and polish the pottery with bright colors. A touch of gold is always found on papier-mache products. The gold represents its roots to the Persian design.Process of pottery making
Step One:First you need to obtain and prepare the clay. Once the clay is dug up it is then stored in a dry place. The clay is prepared by adding water to obtain a moistened, sticky texture.
Step Two:
The clay is passed through a machine called a pug mill. This improves the consistency and texture of the clay. Traditionally the process was called dancing the clay.
Dancing The Clay:
The clay is thrown on the ground and red sand is added to it. The men then would walk up and down the clay mixing the sand and clay with their feet. This was done until the clay had a smooth and elastic consistency.
Step Three: (Wedging The Clay)
The clay is kneaded by hand on a board and then rolled into a ball.
Step Four: (Throwing A Pot)
This term is used for molding the clay into pottery on the potter's wheel. The clay is centered on the wheel and the potter works the clay vertically up and down with their hands. Some pots are made directly on the wheel while others are made in parts of the wheel and then assembled afterwards.
Step Five: (Drying)
Pots are then set aside to air dry. Some pots are placed in the shade on shelves while others are placed directly in the sun.
Step Six: (Carving)
Designs are now carved into the pottery or etched on the surface with any sharp pointy object or material that is available to them. The carving is done while the clay is only leather dry. After the designs are made the pottery is then set aside to finish the drying process.
Step Seven: (Baking)
The pots are now baked/fired in a kiln or oven. This process can either be done in an electrical oven or a traditional dirt oven. This process removes excess water from the pottery, and as a result the clay hardens. Baking also changes the color of the clay.
Recovery of ancient pottery
Some of India's pottery has been recovered by divers from Nanhai Marine Archaeology as they evacuate shipwrecks in the South China Sea. This sea was the main shipping route linking China to India from the 14th to the 19th century. When a shipwreck is found, the researchers recover the artifacts and document each piece. During this they also search for the old kilns where the pottery was once made. The national museum of Malaysia is given all the unique artifacts along with thirty percent of all other recovered items. Nanhai Marine Archaeology is then permitted to sell their portion of the recovered artifacts in order to finance future projects.Further reading
- Proto-Historic Pottery of Indus Valley Civilisation : Study of Painted Motifs/Sudha Satyawadi. 1994,