Indus Valley Cilvilzation holds a key role in the History of India. The arts of the Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's first civilizations, evolved throughout the second millennium. Many civilization sites have yielded sculptures, seals, ceramics, gold jewellery, terracotta figurines, and other works of art. The Arts of Indus valley Civilization gives immense details about the life of people of that time.
READ ABOUT VEDIC PERIOD
Art of Indus Valley Civilization
During the second millennium, the arts of the Indus Valley civilisation, one of the world's first civilizations, arose. Sculptures, seals, ceramics, gold jewellery, terracotta figurines, and other types of art have been discovered at many civilization sites. Their renderings of human and animal forms were extremely lifelike and the modelling of figures was done with utmost caution. Along the Indus River, there are two significant Indus Valley civilization sites: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in the north and Mohenjo-Daro in the south.
While Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro are in Pakistan, notable sites discovered in India include Lothal, Surkotada, Dholavira in Gujarat, Rakhigarh, and Banwali in Haryana, and Ropar in Punjab. The major materials used for artistic works were: Stone, Bronze, Terracotta, Clay, etc.
Art of Indus Valley Civilization - Stone Sculptures
The handling of the 3D volume may be seen in stone figures found in Indus valley sites. There are two major stone statues:
BEARDED MAN
1. In Mohenjo-Daro, a Bearded Man (Priest Man, Priest-King) was discovered.
The main features of the figure were:
• The figure is covered in a shawl that comes under the right arm and covers the left shoulder, indicating that it
is a priest. The shawl has a trefoil design on it.
• The nose is well-formed and of average size.
• Short beard and whiskers, as well as a short moustache.
• A basic woven fillet is carried around the head once the hair is separated in the centre.
• A right-hand armlet and holes around the neck imply a necklace.
• Overall, there is a hint of the Greek style in the statues.
MALE TORSO
2. Male Torso
• Red sandstone was used to create it.• The head and arms are attached to the neck and shoulders through socket openings. Legs have been broken.
• The shoulders are nicely browned, and the belly is a little protruding.• It is one of the more expertly cut and polished pieces.
Bronze Casting - Lost Wax Technique
At first, the required figure is formed of wax and coated with clay. After allowing the clay to dry, the entire assembly is heated to melt the wax within the clay. The melted wax was then drained out of the clay section through a small hole. The molten metal was then poured into the hollow clay mould. The clay coating was fully removed once it had cooled. The Bronze casting includes both human and animal representations. The buffalo, with its raised head, back, and sweeping horns, and the goat, among animal representations, are aesthetic assets. Bronze casting was popular at all locations of Indus valley culture, as evidenced by the copper dog and bird of Lothal and the Bronze figure of a bull from Kalibangan. Metal casting persisted until the late Harappan, Chalcolithic, and other peoples following the Indus valley civilization.
Examples of Bronze Casting are:
DANCING GIRL
Dancing Girl
• It depicts a girl whose long hair is tied in the bun and bangles cover her left arm.
• Cowry shell necklace is seen around her neck with her right hand on her hip and her left hand clasped in a traditional Indian dance gesture.Terracotta
Art of Indus Valley Civilization - Terracotta
In Gujarat and Kalibangan, terracotta statues are more lifelike. A few figures of bearded males with coiled hairs are found in terracotta, their stance firmly erect, legs slightly apart, and arms parallel to the sides of the torso. The fact that this figure appears in the same posture over and over again suggests that he was a divinity. There was also a clay mask of a horned god discovered. Terracotta was also used to create toy carts with wheels, whistles, rattles, birds and animals, gamesmen, and discs. Mother Goddess figurines are the most important clay figures.
The main example of a terracotta figure is:
MOTHER GODDESS
Mother Goddess
• Mohenjo-Daro is where it was found.
• These are mainly crude standing figurines.• Wearing a loin robe and a grid, she is adorned with jewellery dangling from her large breast.
• The mother goddess's distinctive ornamental element is her fan-shaped headpiece with a cup-like protrusion on either side.
• The figure's pellet eyes and beaked snout are exceedingly primitive (constructed in a rudimentary way).
Seals
Thousands of seals, mostly made of steatite but also agate, chert, copper, faience, and terracotta, were discovered at the sites, with exquisite representations of animals such as unicorn bulls, rhinoceros, tiger, elephant, bison, goat, buffalo, and others. The major purpose was to create wealth. They were also carried on the person of their owners as amulets, maybe like modern-day identity cards. Harappan seals were 2 x 2 square inches in size. Every seal has a pictographic script on it that has yet to be understood. Seals have also been discovered in Gold and Ivory.
PASHUPATI SEAL
Pashupati Seal
• A cross-legged human figure shown on the seal is found at MohenJo Daro.
• A tiger and an elephant are represented on the right side of the image, while a rhinoceros and a buffalo are depicted on the left.
• Below the seat are two antelopes (deer) (near his feet). The figure's head bears three horns.Pottery
The pottery of the Indus Valley is mostly manufactured on the wheel, with only a few exceptions. Painted ceramics are much less prevalent than plain pottery. The most common type of plain pottery is red clay with or without a fine red or grey slip. The geometric and animal images are painted in glossy black paint on the black painted ware, which has a fine covering of red slip.
Painted Earthen Jar
It is made on Potter’s wheel, found at Mohenjo Daro.
Art of Indus Valley Civilization- Beads, Ornaments, and Cosmetics
Harappan men and women adorned themselves with a wide range of jewellery made from a wide range of materials, including precious metals, jewels, bone, and baked clay. Both men and women wore white necklaces, fillets, armlets, and finger rings. Necklaces made of gold and semi-precious metal stones, copper bracelets and beads, gold earrings, and head decorations have all been discovered in Mohenjo-Daro and Lothal. At Farmona in Harappa, a cemetery was discovered where deceased people were buried with jewellery. Chanhu Daro and Lothal both have well-developed bead factories. Some beads were produced by cementing two or more stones together. Animal figures, particularly monkeys and squirrels, were also created and utilized as pinheads and beads. Cotton and wool spinning were quite popular (both rich and poor practiced spinning). Men and women wore different outfits that looked like a dhoti and shawl. Shawl went below right arm and covered left shoulder. They were fashion-conscious. Various hairstyles were fashionable, and beards were popular. Cinnabar was used as a cosmetic, and they were familiar with face paint, lipstick, and collyrium (eyeliner).
Like
Comments