Harappan Pottery, Images, Terracotta Figurines and Stone Work
Ancient History › Indus Valley Civilisation · Topic 3.9
Harappan pottery was wheel-made, deep red-slipped and painted black with pipal leaves, circles, fish-scales and zigzags, in forms such as dish-on-stand and perforated jars. Art included the bronze dancing girl, a steatite bearded male statue, many terracotta animals, toys and female figures, and, at Dholavira, fine stone work. Seals were the finest art, while terracotta was the art of the common people.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Indus Valley Civilisation
At a Glance
- Pottery Wheel-made, red slip, black painting
- Metal image Bronze dancing girl
- Stone image Steatite bearded statue
- Terracotta Animals, toys, women
- Stone work Dholavira citadel
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Ancient History: Indus Valley Civilisation
Where Does It Fit?
This is the ninth topic of the category on the Indus Valley Civilisation. The previous topic covered the script and seals, and this one covers the arts. The next topic covers the decline of the civilisation. Previous topic: Harappan Script, Seals, Weights and Measures.
What Was Harappan Pottery Like?
In short: the Harappans were expert potters whose red, black-painted ware was made on the wheel.
The Harappans had great expertise in using the potter’s wheel. The specimens discovered are all red and include the dish-on-stand. Numerous pots were painted with trees and circles, and images of men appear on some fragments. Another account adds that pottery had a deep red slip with black paintings, well fired and fine in decoration. Forms include dish-on-stands, storage jars, perforated jars, goblets, S-shaped jars, plates, dishes, bowls and pots. Painted motifs include pipal leaves, fish-scale designs, intersecting circles, zigzag lines, horizontal bands and geometric patterns with floral and faunal elements. The Harappan pottery was used for daily purposes and for storage.
Which Images and Figurines Survive?
| Art form | Details |
|---|---|
| Bronze dancing girl | A woman dancer, naked apart from a necklace and many bangles on the arm, regarded as the best specimen of metal image; the other text calls it copper |
| Stone sculpture | A few pieces; a steatite statue wears an ornamented robe over the left shoulder, under the right arm like a shawl, with short locks held by a woven fillet (called the priest king) |
| Terracotta figurines | Toys or objects of worship, depicting birds, dogs, sheep, cattle and monkeys, and men and women, with women outnumbering men; unsophisticated art |
| Toys and games | Toy carts, rattles, wheels, tops, marbles and hopscotch boards |
| Seals | The greatest artistic creations, made with great skill |
The contrast between the highly finished seals and images and the unsophisticated terracotta pieces indicates the gap between the classes that used them, the former used by the upper classes and the latter by the common people. The figurines also relate to belief, as in Religious Practices of the Harappan Civilisation.
How Does Harappan Art Compare With Other Early Civilisations?
Egypt and Mesopotamia built temples and carved monumental statues of kings and gods, whereas Harappan art is small in scale. Its achievements lie in tiny, finely worked seals with accurate animal figures, in beads, bangles and ornaments, and in toys, which reached the whole population. Harappan artists were adept at animal representation: the humped bull, the rhinoceros and the tiger on seals are shown with great realism, while human figures are generally stylised. Another accountbook also notes that the toy carts, rattles, wheels, tops, marbles and hopscotch boards show how the Harappans amused themselves. Taken together, the objects show a civilisation that valued craftsmanship and everyday life more than the display of rulers.
What About Stone Work?
There is not much stone work at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro because the two great cities could not procure stone. The position was different at Dholavira in Kutch, where the citadel was built of stone and is a monumental work and the most impressive among the Harappan citadels found so far. Dressed stone was used in masonry together with mud bricks, which is remarkable, and stone slabs were used in three types of burial there. In one type, a circle of stones above the grave resembles a megalithic stone circle. As an analytical point, Harappan art reached high skill in small, portable objects such as seals, beads and bronzes, but not in monumental sculpture or temples, which matches a society that invested in cities, commerce and crafts. The craft base is in Technology and Crafts of the Harappan Civilisation, and the seals in Harappan Script, Seals, Weights and Measures. The end of this art with the urban phase is in Decline of the Indus Civilisation.
| Site | Notable art |
|---|---|
| Mohenjo-daro | Bronze dancing girl, steatite statue, seals |
| Harappa | Terracotta female figures, stone phallus-like objects |
| Dholavira | Stone citadel and dressed stone masonry |
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Art objects Dancing girl and priest king are asked
- Class contrast Seals versus terracotta
- Stone Dholavira exception
What Came Next?
The next topic describes the decline of the Indus civilisation. Next topic: Decline of the Indus Civilisation.
Key People and Terms
- Dish-on-stand Pot form on a pedestal
- Terracotta Baked clay
- Steatite Soft stone
- Dancing girl Bronze statuette from Mohenjo-daro
- Slip Fine clay coat on pottery
- Fillet Headband
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Pottery: red slip, black painting.
- Bronze dancing girl at Mohenjo-daro.
- Terracotta: women outnumber men.
- Dholavira: stone citadel.
- Seals: finest art.
Do Not Confuse With
- Seal art and terracotta art Upper-class sophisticated versus common people’s simple
- Dancing girl and priest king Bronze or copper figure versus steatite male statue
- Mohenjo-daro and Dholavira Brick city with little stone versus stone-built city
Memory Hook
Red pots with black paint, a dancing girl in bronze, clay toys for all, stone only at Dholavira.
Mains Angle
Questions on Harappan art ask about the nature and social context of art. These points add depth.
- Forms Pottery, bronze, terracotta, stone
- Context Class differences
- Limits Little monumental sculpture
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Describe the art and craft objects of the Harappan civilisation.”
How to Answer
- Pottery Shapes and painting.
- Images Dancing girl, steatite statue.
- Terracotta Toys and figurines.
- Stone Dholavira.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Harappan pottery like?
Harappan pottery was made on the wheel, well fired, with a deep red slip and black painted designs such as pipal leaves, circles, fish scales and zigzags. Typical forms are dish-on-stands, perforated jars, goblets, S-shaped jars and storage jars.
What is the dancing girl of Mohenjo-daro?
The dancing girl is a small bronze (or copper) statuette of a naked woman wearing a necklace and many bangles on her arm. It is regarded as the best specimen of Harappan metal images and shows skilled casting.
What were the Harappan terracotta figurines used for?
Terracotta figurines of birds, dogs, sheep, cattle, monkeys, men and women were used either as toys or as objects of worship. Women figures outnumber men, and they are unsophisticated art compared with seals and metal images.
Why is there little stone work at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro?
The two great cities could not procure stone locally, so their buildings were of brick. At Dholavira in Kutch, where stone was available, the citadel was built of dressed stone with mud bricks, the most impressive Harappan citadel found.
What do the differences in Harappan art show about society?
Seals and metal images were skilfully made and used by the upper classes, while terracotta figures were simple and used by common people. This contrast indicates the gap between classes in Harappan society and the different tastes and means of each group.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Harappan pottery was mostly hand-made and unpainted.
It was wheel-made and painted in black.
2 The bronze dancing girl was found at Mohenjo-daro.
She wears many bangles.
3 Stone was used extensively at Mohenjo-daro.
Stone was scarce there; Dholavira used it.
4 Terracotta women figures outnumber men.
They show unsophisticated art.
Related Topics
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