Pottery in India

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Kashmir

Moving straight onto Kashmir, one can find earthenware of ordinary clay, but with a glaze-like surface, which has gained popularity. The first sign of pottery in Kashmir can be traced between 3000 BC and 1000 BC, thanks to Burzahom archaeological site located on the outskirts of Srinagar. The traditional storing of water in earthen pots is still prevalent in rural areas of the valley. During marriages, traditional musical instruments, like Tumbakneer and Noar are still a common feature which are purely made using clay.

However, pottery, a traditional trade in Kumar Mohalla, Nishat, Srinagar is on the verge of extinction. The plight of potters here is clearly visible as there are only few potters left to continue this trade and many have switched over to other jobs mostly based on dailywages in agriculture. Today, the convenience of easyto-buy and well priced modern items has displaced traditional pottery. The potters say that while this change is inevitable, the government must do more to protect their trade. After all, pottery is integral to Kashmir’s heritage.

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Kangra (Himachal Pradesh)

This district is famous for its clayware articles. There is a famous place known as “Andretta” in this district. Andretta is a village and an artists’ colony in Himachal Pradesh. The artists’ colony was established in the 1920s, when Irish theatre artist and environmentalist, Norah Richards, shifted here from Lahore. Near Palampur in the Kangra District, with Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas as a backdrop, Andretta over the years has attracted many noted artists, theatre practitioners, painters and more recently potters.

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Delhi is famous for its characteristic ‘Blue’ pottery. It has a very old tradition, which is very distinctive. This particular art form has been named as blue pottery because the eye-catching Persian blue dye is used to color the clay. Blue pottery is glazed and high-fired which makes it tougher than most of the others. There is a pottery village in Delhi, sponsored by the South Asia Foundation. The pottery village is a small rural set-up located near Pitampura in West Delhi. The Foundation works for the upliftment of the poor while putting special emphasis on the craft sector. The pottery village, therefore, is home to hundreds of Rajasthani potter families who have settled here permanently.

West Bengal

Manasha pottery of West Bengal represents the snake goddess and is a quaint, double curved pot with a face painted on it. Similarly, the Dakshini Rai pots, found in the Sundarbans area, are round pots with an edging running along the mouth signifying a crown and worshipped as the god who protects people against tigers. Such articles are of interest to the tourist and though not readily available outside Bengal, one finds stray pieces at the emporia in the major cities of India. Rajasthan pottery has certain distinct characteristics. The mouths of water pots are small, probably to prevent spilling when water is being carried, a natural precaution in a place where water is so precious. Alwar is noted for its paper-thin pottery, known as kagzi (paper) pottery. Molela in Rajasthan is a village, which specializes in producing reliefs of gods and goddesses, mainly Ganesh, the elephant god. These reliefs are painted in vibrant reds, yellows and pinks and the figure is fired.

Rajasthan

Jaipur pottery , made out of Egyptian paste, is thrown on the wheel and fired in wood-kilns, usually at very low temperatures. This naturally makes it fragile though few can resist the charm of the delicate white and blue floral motif, which is painted onto the body after firing. The range of items is primarily decorative such as ashtrays, vases, coasters, small bowls and boxes for trinkets.

In the Pokhran pottery, pieces in different shapes are made for varied uses. The important thing here is that the shape is dictated by the function. The best known is the water bottle used during long journeys.

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh produces some of the finest and most decorative Chunar, symbolized by its fine black clay pottery. This is inlaid with silver paint in intricate designs. The art perfected in Nizamabad, is highly glossy and has luster. Luster is derived from a powder called kabiz made from the mud of rice fields. Its formula is a closely guarded secret.

Khurja , in Uttar Pradesh, a three hours drive from Delhi, is also well known for its cheap but tough tableware. A specialty of Khurja is a type of pitcher like a pilgrim’s bottle. Meerut, Hapur, Chinhat and Mansalia are important centers of this state where ordinary domestic articles and glazed items, mostly tableware, are made. Produced on a mass scale, fired at high temperatures, these pottery items retain their mud colour and are in popular demand.

Maharashtra

Kumbharwada is one of the first settlements in Dharavi, built by migrants from Gujarat in the second half of the 19th Century. It’s home to the pottery industry, one of Dharavi’s most famous local crafts. In the small gaps between their houses, artisans throw and fire pots of all shapes and sizes, from small cups for yoghurt to diya candles, larger water pots or ornamental vases.

The potters brought their family trade with them, and maintained – like many in Mumbai – strong ties to their ancestral villages. They’re in constant communication (physical and online) with their families in the North, collaborating to improve kiln designs, visiting their villages regularly, and significantly, importing their clay from there.

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In Gujarat , a mixture of white and black clay is used in pottery making. After they are sun-dried, the clay articles are painted. Only earth pigments, ground and mixed with water are used to make the pots. The object is first coated with a uniform base color and the patterns are then painted in various colors. A vast repertoire of motifs is spontaneously rendered by craftswomen. Designs are made of dots, zigzag stripes and diagonals. Floral and animal patterns are only occasionally used. Kutch and Saurashtra in Gujarat are noted for their beautiful earthenware.

Goa

Goa’s earthenware has a charm of its own. A wide range of figures and panels, apart from attractive water and flowerpots, are made. Pottery is one of Goa’s oldest crafts. Several decades before it was recorded in history, Goan potters have been known to provide temples with clay lamps and cooking vessels. It was they who brought fresh food supplies, drinking, and cooking vessels for mass meals. Fresh clay vessels were considered pure by their very nature. As they were wielded out of the earth, water, and fire 3 basic elements that support life. They held a prominent status in Goan societ

Tamil Nadu

Southern India has its own distinctive glazed pottery. Vellore in North Arcot district has a tradition of black and red pottery. Udilampatti in Madurai district has black pottery over with yellow. Panruti in South Arcot district is famous for its clay figures of deities and toys. Karigiri also in South Arcot district is famous for its glazed pottery (which uses China clay called mamakette decorated with patterns and dish trays), flower vases, decorative animal and bird figures and tablewares.

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