Pottery

Pottery -The most ancient craft known to India for centuries, it has become an inseparable part of the cultural fabric of India. Besides its immense utilitarian value in an Indian household, Pottery enjoys a divine origin and hence a much deeper significance.

A potter can boast of the exalted association with 'Prajapati' (one of the titles of Brahma - the creator), who created humankind from clay. According to another legend, during the marriage ceremony of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati, an earthen pot was required for the ritual. So, Lord Shiva created a man from a bead of his necklace, who moulded the first pot or 'Kumbh'. His succesive generations came to be known as 'Kumbhar' - a synonym for Potter.

Pottery is one of the fewer Indian crafts that have retained the ancient charm and skills. The craft remains untouched by the influence and advancements of the modern world. The potter through his patient creativity gives a myriad forms to the earth - right from household articles to decorative and religious items.

The utilitarian domestic pottery is simple yet attractive. and is available in varied shapes and sizes, evolved to match a specific use. Some of the pleasing utilitarian pottery can be found in regions like Kutch (Gujarat), known for its range of cooking and food storage pots painted in red, black and white with geometric floral and animal patterns. Nizamabad (Uttar Pradesh) and Dausa (Rajasthan) are famous for the lustrous black finish of their tall oil and water jars.

A variety of colourful earthenware like gaily painted lamps, earthen pots, drums, flower vases, toys and figurines of deities, form an indispensable part of the religious ceremonies and festive occasions. The potters of Calcutta (West Bengal) and Bihar devote themselves exclusively to the making of clay sculptures of popular deities like Durga, Kali, Lakshmi and Saraswati.

Among the most famous potteries of India are terracotta sculptures of West Bengal with expressive designs and legendary themes; the Khurja pottery of Uttar Pradesh known for its unique autumnal shades and floral designs and the blue-glazed pottery of Jaipur with persian flavour and floral designs.

Potters pottering about on their wheel and fashioning all kinds of pitchers and earthenware are a common sight in India. While pottery for daily use – like gharas (water pots), surahis (pitchers), diyas (lamps) and gamlas (flower pots) – is made all over India, certain areas specialize in a particular type. Here’s a tally of the types of pottery you are likely to see in shops.

Terracotta:- Perhaps the most common form of pottery in India, terracotta pops up in almost every state. Votive figures of elephants, serpents, birds and horses are made in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and the Jhabua and Bastar regions of Madhya Pradesh. Quite similar to these are the horses of Darbhanga in Bihar which are painted in bright rainbow colours once they are made. Another place known for its magnificent, six-metre high terracotta horses is Tamil Nadu.
Terracotta panels and storage jars painted white and decorated with tiny mirrors are common in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Molela in Rajasthan excels in sculpted terracotta plaques and icons of Rajput heroes and Hindu deities.
Orissa and Madhya Pradesh have a charming tradition of decorative roof top tiles, made partly by hand moulding and partly on the wheel. These tiles, shaped like half tubes, have perched on top of them figures of elephants, monkeys, bears, reptiles, gods and goddesses and are considered a status symbol among the rural people.

Blue-glaze:- Delhi, Kashmir, Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Khurja (Uttar Pradesh) are known for the use of blue glaze on pottery made from Multani mitti, or Fuller’s earth. Essentially an imported technique, it was first developed by enterprising Mongol artisans who combined Chinese glazing technology with Persian decorative arts. During its infancy, it was strictly used to make tiles to decorate mosques, tombs and palaces in Central Asia but Kashmiri potters soon took to it with a vengeance. The traditional Persian designs have now been adapted to please a more sophisticated clientele. Apart from the predictable urns, jars, pots and vases, you’ll now find tea sets, cups and saucers, plates and glasses, jugs, ashtrays and even napkin rings.