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Crafts / Terracotta

Terracotta

State
Pan-India
Material
Clay · Fire
Rarity
Popular

Baked earth, shaped by potters across India

About

Hand-shaped fired-clay horses, figures, plaques, pots and lamps made by potters of many regions of India.

Terracotta means baked earth. It is clay, shaped by hand or on a wheel, dried and fired at a fairly low temperature so that it becomes hard and turns a warm reddish-brown. Across India, potters make terracotta in many forms, from water pots, lamps and cooking vessels to figures of horses, elephants and deities. The potters are known as kumhar or kumbhakar in much of India.

Terracotta is not one single tradition, but a family of local traditions. The Bankura horse from Panchmura in West Bengal, the flat relief plaques of Molela in Rajasthan, the animal figures of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, and the temple terracotta of Bishnupur in West Bengal are examples. The craft has no single lineage, so these are examples.

Terracotta is used for rituals, as votive offerings and for festivals, such as diyas at Diwali and new pots for harvest festivals, and is also made for decoration. It is a craft where the work is shared by the family, from preparing the clay to firing.

How it’s made

Terracotta making begins with clay. In West Bengal, raw clay is crushed and sieved to remove stones and impurities, and then mixed with measured amounts of fine river sand and water until it has the right consistency. The sand helps to stop the clay from cracking as it dries and is fired.

The clay is then shaped. Round forms such as pots, lamps and the parts of figures are thrown on the potter's wheel, as cones and cylinders that serve as building blocks. In the Bankura horse, different parts of the hollow horse, such as the four legs, the neck in two parts and the face, are turned separately on the wheel and then joined together. Flat or moulded work, such as plaques, is pressed by hand or in a mould. Decorative details are added with fingers and bamboo tools.

The pieces are dried naturally for a day or two until firm, and are then fired in a kiln at around 700 to 750 degrees Celsius for about four to five hours. The colour of the fired piece depends on the kiln: the Bankura horse is made in terracotta red when the smoke is let out of the vents and in black when the vents are sealed. After firing, a piece may be left plain, or painted with colours, for example a diya painted for a festival.

Key features

  • Clay shaped by hand, wheel or mould, and fired at a low temperature
  • Warm reddish-brown colour, or black when fired in a sealed kiln
  • Made by potter families known as kumhars or kumbhakars
  • Regional traditions: Bankura horses, Molela plaques, Bishnupur temples, Gorakhpur animals
  • Used for ritual figures, festival lamps and everyday pots
  • Details added with fingers and bamboo tools, and sometimes paint

History

Terracotta has been a medium of art in India since the Harappan civilisation: terracotta female figurines were found at Mohenjo-daro. In the Mauryan period, terracotta figures were mostly of mother goddesses, and moulds began to be used for the faces. Terracotta temple decoration became a speciality of Bengal, where, at Bishnupur, the terracotta panels on the temples are known for their intricate detail.

Different regions have developed their own folk terracotta. In Bankura district of West Bengal, the potters of Panchmura make the famous terracotta horse, which was originally a village ritual object and is now regarded as an emblem of Indian crafts, linked to the All India Handicrafts Board. Molela in Rajasthan is known for flat relief plaques made by the Kumhar community. The potters of Gorakhpur are known for animal figures with hand-applied decoration.

Traditional terracotta sculptures, mainly religious, are still made, and demand is seasonal, peaking around the harvest festival, when new pottery and votive figures are needed. To help sustain the craft, the Government of India set up the Sanskriti Museum of Indian Terracotta in New Delhi, which displays terracotta from many regions and periods.

Facts

  • Baked earth What the word means. Terracotta comes from the Italian for baked earth, which describes clay fired at a fairly low temperature.
  • Harappan An ancient medium. Terracotta has been a medium of art in India since the Harappan civilisation; terracotta figurines have been found at Mohenjo-daro.
  • Red or black Colour from the kiln. In the Bankura horse the colour depends on the kiln: terracotta red when smoke is let out, and black when the vents are sealed.
  • Seasonal craft Peak at harvest festivals. Demand for traditional terracotta is seasonal and peaks at the harvest festival, when new pottery and votive figures are needed.

Market

Festival goods, home decor and gifts

Terracotta is sold as diyas, pots, planters, figures, wall hangings, jewellery and decor, at local markets, craft emporia and online, usually at modest prices. Machine-moulded copies are common. Hand-shaped pieces show finger marks and slight irregularities,.

Sustainability

Clay, fire and a recyclable material

Terracotta is made from clay, which returns to earth, and it is fired at a lower temperature than many ceramics, though kilns use fuel. A broken pot can be crushed and recycled into the soil. Buying from local potters, especially at festivals, supports a seasonal craft and cuts packaging.

Products

  • Terracotta pottery: Water pots, cooking vessels, planters and storage jars
  • Painted diyas: Festival lamps, plain or decorated with colour
  • Horses and elephants: Votive and decorative animals, such as the Bankura horse
  • Relief plaques: Flat moulded wall pieces, such as those of Molela
  • Deity figures: Ritual figures for festivals and worship
  • Lampshades, wall hangings and jewellery: Modern products made by potter cooperatives

Words to know

  • Terracotta: Clay fired at a fairly low temperature into a hard, reddish ware.
  • Kumhar / Kumbhakar: The potter community of India.
  • Kiln: The oven in which the clay is fired.
  • Throwing: Shaping clay on a spinning potter's wheel.
  • Diya: A small clay oil lamp used at festivals.
  • Votive: An object offered to a deity or made for worship.

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