Manpreet Bharara Reward Points : 30900 Member Since : Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Flower vases, ashtrays, paperweights, coasters, trinkets, showpieces, decorative figures and tea sets crafted into a bewildering array of colors and designs are popular pottery decor. I want to know more about Indian Pottery. the history and where is it now
Hii Manpreet, the origin of pottery in India can be traced back to the neolithic age. Coarse handmade pottery in various colors such as red, orange, brown, black and cream mainly consisted of different types of bowls, jars, vessels, etc. Harrappan and Mohanjodaro cultures heralded the age of wheel-made pottery. These were featured by well-burnt black painted red wares. The phase of glazed pottery started in the 12th century AD, when Muslim rulers favored potters from the Middle East to settle in India. Glazed pottery of Persian models with Indian designs, dating back to the Sultanate period has been found in Gujarat. The terra-cotta objects are made by hand or on the wheel, and firing them in an open oven. The surface is rubbed and polished, with a wood or stones while it is still wet. The first pottery unit run in India was by Sir S Deb, in Calcutta. It established the success of high-class pottery made out of local clay. Porcelain factories were set up in Gwalior and Calcutta in first decade of 20th century. Today, the pottery industry is run on both cottage and modern lines. Hundreds of small and big factories all over the country keep this age-old tradition alive. Apart from commercial and sociological implications, pottery in India has been regarded with deep religious significance. For instance, if no image of a deity is available, a water-pitcher is worshiped as mangalghat good omen . The translucent blue pottery of Delhi and Jaipur, with its unique arabesque patterns, has gifted a touch of regal grandeur to the art of pottery. Functional items like flowerpots or Diwali lamps too are a part of this fascinating tradition in India.
Posted On : 4/19/2009 11:18:11 PM
Ragamala Chakraborty Reward Points : 45200 Member Since : Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Hi friends, Indian Pottery Industry has its origins steeped in the antiquities . Tradition of pottery in India is an age-old handicraft. This was claimed to be the expression of human emotions at the beginning and then became the way to create utilitarian objects. This is one of the most sensual arts in the Indian handicraft industry. Indian Pottery Industry came into existence with the Indus Valley Civilization and the artwork has been continuing in various areas such as pottery, earthenware, and porcelain for ages. Pottery and earthenware are utilitarian and also decorative while porcelain and studio pottery belong to the sphere of art in the later years. Pottery making are both handmade and wheel-made that is practiced all over India. Ever since the Harappan Civilization, pottery making in India has been a significant craft and the potters were always esteemed at that time. They were the best masters of their trade.
Posted On : 4/19/2009 11:31:01 PM
Joydeep Chakraborty Reward Points : 23700 Member Since : Thursday, February 14, 2008
Hi all.... Among the various media chosen by man for expressing his joy through art, music or literature, the simplest has been this clay art. the soft and malleable clay has been used in Indian pottery since ages. Pottery is the measure of a country s civilization and India is no exception. Being one of the oldest crafts, man has expressed his feelings and his aesthetics in clay. A piece of pottery has a visual message in its shape and colour. It is the most sensual of all arts of India. It developed primarily as an utilitarian artistic expression. In a warm country like India pots for storage of water and grain were in demand. The Indus valley pottery was mostly decorative. The combination of design, concept and execution made it beautiful. The evolution of Indian ceramics began with the Harappan age and the art of shaping and baking clay articles as pottery, earthenware and porcelain has endured through the ages.
Posted On : 4/20/2009 12:27:10 AM
Prerna Gupta Reward Points : 17400 Member Since : Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Hi friends..... India s diversity can easily be found in the profusion of the art- pottery which is expressed in innumerable shapes and sizes. This aspect is almost inseparable from any Indian scene. The common earthenware is unsophisticated. The shapes are natural, simple but attractive and true to the material. In India, the emphasis has been on the chasteness of the line to lend dignity to the form. Above all, it has to be superbly functional. The most common clay object is the container used for keeping water or grain. even in the modern day with the popularity of other thousand materials pottery has not lost its charm. Pottery in the modern days used for festive purposes is particularly gay. There are immense variety of festive pottery objects specially produced for the occasion like lamps for Diwali, toys for Dussehra, pots for seedling at Sankranti and the gaily-painted pots for marriages. Common pottery comes in a bewildering profusion. Being functional, each has a special use.
Posted On : 4/20/2009 12:28:38 AM
Kiran Kabiraj Reward Points : 26500 Member Since : Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Hi all....I would like to discuss about the famous blue pottery of India here. The capital city of Delhi is famous for its characteristic Blue pottery. It has a very old tradition. This particular art form has been named as blue pottery because of the eye-catching Persian blue dye used to color the clay. Blue pottery is glazed and high-fired which makes it tougher than most of the others. another example of blue pottery is the Jaipur blue pottery which is equally famous and unique. Blue pottery , be it the Delhi gharana or the Jaipur gharana are still famous for their artistic excellence.
Posted On : 4/20/2009 12:30:06 AM
Mona Mehta Reward Points : 19900 Member Since : Friday, January 09, 2009
Very true friends....the heritage of Indian pottery is altogether on a different strata. Today, the pottery industry is run on both cottage and modern lines. Hundreds of small and big factories all over the country keep this age-old tradition alive. Apart from commercial and sociological implications, pottery in In India has deep religious significance. For example in Hinduism mangal ghot which is basically an earthen pot is ideally worshipped instead of a deity often. Functional items like flowerpots or Diwali lamps too are a part of this fascinating tradition.
Pottery in India, the center of pottery is Khurja a town in Uttar Pradesh where you will find many small scale pottery industries making Flower pots of different sizes and colours, Cup Plate, Ash Trays, Paper waights, coasters, Fuses and even Electrical switches. Pottery is ancient art / technique used to prepare utensils in the early civilization era. The earthen pots were also discovered at the site where traces of Harrappan civilization were found.
Pottery has been one of the ancient arts practiced in India. No one knows since when the wheel of a potter has been spinning. However, its presence can be traced back to the Neolithic age. The objects found during that point of time primarily included handmade pottery in various colors such as red, orange, brown, black and cream. The different types of utensils mainly used were bowls, jars, vessels, etc. The excavations at the archaeological sites of Harrappan and Mohenjodaro have clearly indicated the age of wheel-made pottery. The relics belonging to the Indus Valley civilization were characterized by well - burnt black painted red wares. These were simple earthenware, which were widely used in day to day activities. However with time, Indian pottery went into evolution and a number of distinct styles emerged out from the simple art of molding clay. Some of the popular forms of Indian pottery styles are given below: 1. Unglazed Pottery: It is the oldest form of pottery practiced in India, which has developed with time, offering a wide range to its customers. There are basically three types of unglazed pottery. First is the paper thin pottery, wherein biscuit colored pottery is decorated with incised patterns. Next utilizes the scrafito technique, wherein the pot is polished and painted with red and white slips along with intricate patterns, while the outline is incised. The third is highly polished pottery, which is given strong, deeply incised, stylized patterns of arabesques. Unglazed pottery is practiced throughout the country, with each region having its own speciality. Black pottery is yet another form of unglazed pottery, which resembles the Harrappan pottery style. 2. Glazed Pottery: The era of glazed pottery began in the 12th century AD, when Muslim rulers encouraged potters from the Middle East to settle in India. The examples of fine glazed pottery of Persian models with Indian designs, dating back to the Sultanate period have been found in Gujarat. The glazed pottery is practiced only in selected regions of the country. It basically contains a white background and blue and green patterns, which are commonly found in Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur, Khurja, Chunar and Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, and Karigari in Tamil Nadu. Blue Pottery practiced in Delhi, Khurja and Jaipur is also a form of glazed pottery. 3. Terracotta: Terracotta is yet another famous and common style of pottery practiced in India. In Bihar, Bengal and Gujarat, women prepare clay figures to propitiate their Gods and Goddesses, during festivals. Moela in Rajasthan has its own distinct style of pottery. Here, local deities are created with molded clay on a flat surface, which are then fired and painted in bright colors. In Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, potters create separate pieces of an object on wheel and then join them later. Tamil Nadu is famous for its terracotta figures of Aiyanar Deity while Gujarat makes votive figures like horses with riders, etc 4. Papier-Mache: In the year 1398, when India was invaded by Tamur Lane, many craftsmen from Central Asia and Persia accompanied him here and were placed in Samarkhand. The son of Sultan Sikander was captivated by Tamur Lane, who learnt this unique craft made of paper pulp. On becoming the king after his father s death, the prince spread this art amongst the craftsmen of his region. The base of this pottery is paper pulp, which is coarsely mashed and mixed with copper sulphate and rice-flour paste. After this, it is shaped by covering the mould with a thin paper and layers of this mixture. The designers then sketch the designs on the item, which is finally lacquered and polished in bright colors. A touch of golden color is always found on all papier - mache products, as it has roots in the Persian design.
Posted On : 7/15/2009 7:29:30 AM
bravo Reward Points : 100 Member Since : Thursday, July 16, 2009
Pottery has been one of the ancient arts practiced in India. Pottery is ancient art / technique used to prepare utensils in the early civilization era. The earthen pots were also discovered at the site where traces of Harrappan civilization were found.
Indian Pottery
