E-BookTerracotta

ByTamarapu Sampath Kumaran

About the Author

Mr T Sampath Kumaran is a freelance writer. He regularly contributes articles on Management, Business, Ancient Temples, and Temple Architecture to many leading Dailies and Magazines.His articles are popular in The Young World section of THE HINDU. His e-books on nature, environment and different cultures of people around the world are educative and of special interest to the young.He was associated in the production of two Documentary films on Nava Tirupathi Temples, and Tirukkurungudi Temple in Tamilnadu.

Acknowledgement:I wish to express my gratitude to the authors from whose works I gathered the details for this book, Courtesy, Google for the photographs. - Tamarapu Sampath Kumaran

Terracottaorterra-cottais "baked earth",from the Latinword terra cotta, a type ofearthen ware, ofclay-basedwhere the fired body is porous. These items are normally made on apotters wheel.

Terracotta is a form of clay or glazed clay that is used to make figurines and idols. Terracotta usage dates back to the times of history, where terracotta made articles are termed as pottery without the usage of potters. You may find terracotta architecture from Greek to Roman mythology, from Arabic to Chinese architecture. But due to the advancements of technology terracotta has been subsequently replaced by many materials such as cement, plaster of Paris, plastics, ceramics in making many objects such as roof tiles, toys , idols, accessories and many more.Terracotta female figurines were uncovered by archaeologists in excavations ofMohenjo-Daro(3000-1500BC). Along with phallus-shaped stones, these suggest some sort of fertility cult and a belief in a mother goddess. Theancient Greeks Tanagra figurineswere mass-produced mold-cast and fired terracotta figurines. Significant uses of terracotta include theBurney Relief,fromAncient Mesopotamiaof about 1950 BC., and EmperorQin Shi Huangs Terracotta Army of China, built in 209210BC., which are outstanding terracotta plaques. Precolonial West African sculpture also made extensive use of terracotta.The regions most recognized for producing terracotta art in that part of the world include theNok cultureof central and north-centralNigeria which excelled in terracotta pottery. French sculptorAlbert-Ernest Carrier Belleusemade many terracotta pieces and possibly the most famous isThe Abduction of Hippodameiadepicting the Greek mythological scene of a centaur kidnapping Hippodameia on her wedding day.

The remarkable 2,000-year-old terracotta figures from the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world. The tomb holds the secrets of China's first emperor,Qin Shi Huang, who died on Sept. 10, 210 B.C., after conquering six warring states to create the first unified nation of China. When he died, Qin Shi Huang was buried in the mostopulent tomb complex ever constructed in China, a sprawling city-size collection of underground caverns containing everything the emperor would need for the afterlife. The ancient Chinese, along with many cultures including ancient Egyptians, believed that items and even people buried with a person could be taken with him to the afterlife.More than 6000 life-sized terra cotta warriors, Archers, infantrymen, horses and bronze chariots silently guarded the tomb of China's First Emperor, for over 2,200 years. This seven-story pagoda was initially constructed in 652 AD, and a larger team of scholars was organized here for translation of the Buddhist sutras brought back from India and it became a holy place for pilgrimages. Buried deep under a hill in central China, surrounded by an underground moat of poisonous mercury, laid an entombed emperor who's been undisturbed for more than two millennia.But instead of burying his armies, concubines, administrators and servants with him, the Qin emperor came up with alternative clay- reproductions. Even though they number in the thousands, each terracotta soldier has painstakingly detailed armor, facial features, hair and clothing.Even during ancient times, people of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa also used terracotta in their fashion, consisting of bead necklaces, bracelets, hangings and many more. Terracotta made pots and vases can also be used as showcase pieces.

The art of handling of clay called Pottery was one of the earliest skills known to the Indians. From time immemorial, lumps of clay were hand -molded to form toys and deities of worship. The advent of the Potter's wheel gave man the task of making beautifully shaped pots for his personal use. The movement of the wheel and the pressure exerted by the hands on the clay gives new shapes and forms.Kangra and Andreta in Himachal Pradesh, Pokhran in Rajasthan, Meerut and Harpur in Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur in Maharastra, Kutch in Gujarat, Jahjjar in Haryana, Birbhum in Bengal and Manipur are famous for their special styles in pottery. Each region has its own specialty. Kangra is noted forblack pottery,which resembles the Harappan pottery style.Pokhran has stylized forms with incised decorative patterns. Kanpur makes thin pottery with incised designs. Meerut and Jhajjar make slim necked water containers called surahis. These are half -turned and half -molded and have a variety of patterns and designs. Kutch is famous for pots, terracotta horses and elephants. The pots are made for different occasions like marriages, death, etc.Nizamabad in Uttar Pradesh is noted for black pottery with silver patterns worked in it. This is similar to the Bidar work of Andhra where oxidized gunmetal is inlaid with silver wire.The rural parts of India commonly display terracotta animal figures in places of worship or under the mango or papal trees in the vicinity of temples. The potters mostly do the terracotta figures. In some parts of Indian villages, the women folk create their own forms of Gods for worship and other decorative pieces for adorning their houses. In India, the making of Glazed pottery came into being with the advent of the Arab influence in India. Only a few centers in India are known for its production. Glazed pottery with white background and blue and green patterns is developed in Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur, Khurja, Chunar and Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, and Karigari in Tamilnadu. Delhi, Khurja and Jaipur are known for the famedBlue Pottery. This does not involve the usage of clay. First, the basic forms are created and then they are painted on the surface. Then it is covered with finely In Bihar, Bengal and Gujarat, during festivals, the women prepare clay figures to propitiate their Gods and Goddesses.The relief- worked plague of Moela in Rajasthan has a distinct style. Here on flat surface local deities are created with molded clay. They are then fired and then painted brilliant colors.Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh has villages where clay figures of animals are done. The potter creates the basic form by throwing separate pieces on the wheel and then joining them. Gujarat also has votive figures like horses with riders, etc.Tamilnadu is famous for the terracotta figures of the Aiyanar Deity. The figures are huge and they are found standing guard at the entrances of villages protecting the insiders from evil spirits.

In South India, mainly in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, there is a practice and a tradition of placing toys and idols in a meaningful way to form an order known as Koluvu in the native tongue of the states. In olden days, they used to make Koluvu mostly with wooden and clay idols. Madurai, a place in Tamil Nadu is famous for terracotta idols of all shapes and colours.

Dussehra brings joy and happiness, but also brings pollution in its wake. Durga idols are made in a special way, the way Kolkata artists make

them traditionally. Kolkata artists make the idols grand by great looking plastic jewellery and heavy crowns, making the idols grand. But according to the myth the idols are immersed in water. When immersed in water, the heavy plastic jewellery and crown cause water pollution by stopping the sunlight entering the water and suffocating the water animals.

So by using terracotta in making idols of Durga and even the jewellery present on the idol, we may stop this kind of water pollution. So it would be so helpful if we switch to terracotta idols. Which do not cause any pollution, easy to disintegrate when immersed in water; also they provide an income for the terracotta artisans. Even it is also a fashion icon. People use earrings and necklaces made up of terracotta these days to add some funky look to their fashion styles The point of genesis of many of Indians artistic expressions is the Earth. While its fertile soils yield forests of wood and from its depths are extracted rich ores of metal, the very soil itself is pliant enough to be molded into pleasing three dimensional forms, giving rise to terracotta pottery. The crafted objects are attributed with meaning deeper than expressed through their physical form, a traditions extended to all handicrafts created by the peoples of this land. Votive terracotta is representative of their ritualistic aspect of tribals life, symbolizing their fears and aspirations. Shaped and molded both by hand as well as on the potters wheel, the animal and bird figures represent the ethos of the ancient cultural stages of human life. The custom of making life-size, some items even gigantic, figures of characters related to the life story of Krishna is widely prevalent in the Chhattisgarh region. These figures are crafted from clay, Grass and bamboo sticks and are painted with water-colours. The huge idols from an essential part of the folk-drama, rahas or raasleela, the dance of Krishna and gopis, cow-herd maidens, performed by the Satnami community of the Bilaspur region. During the enactments of rahas, up to 105 figures are made the figure of Bhimsen, the Pandava hero from the Mahabharata, are the tallest, and stand about 15 mts. High.In the month of Srawan (July-August), on Hariyali Amavas or Poli Amavas, the tribes of the Chhatisgarh region celebrate Pola Parva, a festival that symbolizes the agricultural traditions of the region. While oxen are worshipped, it is also customary to offer pola-baila, a bullock and bendri, the she-monkey with child, at the village shrine, Once offered, these votive figures affixed with wheels are given away to children as play things. According to the customs prevalent in this region, it is compulsory for children to play with these idols. Later when these idols break or shatter, they are put away on roof-tops.These area of Surguja and Raigarh are prominent for the concentration or the tribal population, which the main Oraon, Pando, Kanwar, Birhor and Rajwar being principal amongst them. Besides the potter, the people of the Oraon and Rajwar tribes make their own roof tiles with bird and animal forms affixed to it. The Rajwars of the area are renowned for their beautiful Jaali, attic, and work. The jaali is decorated with unbaked clay figurines. The houses of this region are fine examples of aesthetic splendour. The Rajwar women are adept in ornamental relief-work on their hut walls. The process of lattice-making involves imagination and planning. A bamboo frame is made by fixing fine bamboo sticks together. Around this frame paddy hay is wrapped. A mixture of brown and black clay, sand and husk is prepared by sprinkling water on it. It is allowed to soak overnight and the next day various animal and human figures are molded from this mixture and affixed to the frames. These figures are dried and colored with white chalk, ocher, blue and green and the motifs are flowers and leaves. Animal and bird figures and intricate geometrical designs form an incoherent part of their artistic repertoire.The terracotta art of the tribal regions of India might appear to be quite crude and simple, but the forms created and passed on from generation to generation by the potter are the result of the merging of many needs- socio- religious, functional, aesthetic, symbolic and environmental. Each shape is functional and carefully conceived to embody utility, comfort, self-expression and spiritual fulfillment.