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The Exquisite Terracotta Art of West Bengal

The state of West Bengal has a tradition of terracotta art that goes back thousands of years. From the terracotta temples and the iconic Bankura horse of the Rarh region, to the idols and sculptures made in the bylanes of Kolkata, this art form is an integral part of Bengali culture.

 

Terracotta Through the Ages

Terracotta is an Italian term that roughly means ‘baked earth’, and refers to clay items that have been hardened by heating them to around 1,000°C. The earliest terracotta artifacts discovered are close to 5,000 years old, and many cultures around the world have a rich terracotta tradition.

Terracotta became widespread in India around 3,500 years ago, with Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal all developing their own styles. West Bengal in particular, with its rivers and fine clay, was the perfect place for it to take root and evolve into an art. Since then, Bengalis have used terracotta not just for everyday utensils, but for sculptures, tiles and even murals.

Terracotta was used at least as far back as the Indus valley civilization.

 

Terracotta Art in West Bengal

The Rarh region of West Bengal is famous for its terracotta temples, which feature intricate terracotta panels and murals overlaid on brick masonry. Over 20 such temples are near the town of Bishnupur alone, with many more spread across the region. The temples’ exquisite terracotta decorations mainly depict stories from the lives of Lord Krishna and Lord Rama, with decorative motifs of nature and geometrical shapes. The town of Panchmura carries on this tradition, with artisans creating decorative terracotta tiles painted with natural colours.

The Jod Bangla terracotta temple in Bishnupur
(Credits: Shatarupa Dutta via wikimedia.org)

 

The region is also famous for its terracotta sculptures, most notably from the district of Bankura. The most well-known subject is the ‘Bankura horse’, a stylized horse figure once used for local rituals, and now an icon of Indian folk art. The region is also known for elephant sculptures along the same lines as the Bankura horse, and mansachali (idols of the snake goddess Manasa).

Bankura Terracota Horse

The stylized Bankura Horse figure has become an icon of Indian folk art

 

How It’s Done

To create these sculptures and idols, artisans first gather clay from the local river (or have a truckload delivered to them). Next, they refine the clay by removing pebbles, leaves and anything else that might affect the quality of the final product. They then knead the clay with sand and dried rice paddy—sometimes for up to six hours—to create the mixture that they will then use to make their artifacts.

Once the clay is ready, the artisans use a potter’s wheel to create cylindrical and funnel shapes that they assemble to form the basic framework of the final product. Other shapes are created using moulds, and fine coils of rolled clay are used to create intricate patterns on the surface of the product. They then leave the product to slowly dry in a closed room to prevent cracks. Last, they fire the objects the village kiln. Depending on the type and size of the end product, the artisans may create vents in the surface to help in uniform heating, and may even fire parts separately and assemble them later.

A gandharva sculpture ready to go in the kiln.

 

Terracotta in West Bengal: Both Clusters and Independent Artists

Artisans that work in terracotta clusters like Bankura have certain advantages. Though artisan families create their artworks on their own, they have access to shared resources like raw materials, village kilns and sales networks. Individual groups of artisans may also work together at times, when needed.

On the other hand, terracotta artisans in urban centers like Kolkata work quite differently. Though the city has small clusters of artisans—like the Kumartuli area, famous for its idols of goddess Durga made of un-fired dried clay—most artisans are spread around the city. Even in Kumartuli, each artisan has their own workshops, usually attached to their residence. In the same way, terracotta artisans in other parts of the city have their own small workshops and makeshift kilns, and need to make do without the benefits of scale that artisans in clusters like Bankura have.

Half-finished idols at a workshop in Kumartuli (Credits: Pinakpani via wikimedia.org)

 

Our Artist: Creating Terracotta Magic

Our terracotta artist is one of these, working out of his small house in one of Kolkata’s crowded bylanes. The ground floor living room is now his workshop, with shelves and floor space littered with random but exquisitely detailed pieces. His little makeshift kiln huddles in a corner outside his back door, about a square meter in size. The house’s kitchen sits halfway up the flight of stairs that leads to the first floor, where he lives with his family. And this modest world of his is where he creates magic for us.

Eternally cheerful, our artist has great technical skill, a fine aesthetic sense, and a quick grasp of ideas. Most importantly, he’s always willing to experiment. This makes working and creating with him a real pleasure, and we hope to keep coming up with new and creative products with him, doing our little bit to keep West Bengal’s tradition of terracotta art going strong.

Take a look at our terracotta collection

Our artist putting the finishing touches on an exquisitely detailed annapakshi sculpture.

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