Arts of the Indus Valley Chapter Notes | Fine Art for Class 11 - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

Introduction

• The arts of the Indus Valley Civilisation appeared during the second half of the third millennium BCE.
• Different forms of art found from various sites of the civilisation include sculptures, seals, pottery, jewellery, terracotta figures, etc.
• The Indus Valley Civilisation is known for one of the earliest examples of civic planning.
• Harappa and Mohenjodaro were the two major sites of the civilisation.
• Other significant sites excavated in India are Lothal and Dholavira in Gujarat, Rakhigarhi in Haryana, Ropar in Punjab, Kalibangan in Rajasthan, etc.

Stone Statues

• Stone statuaries found at Harappa and Mohenjodaro are refined and handled three-dimensional volumes exceptionally.
• Examples include two male figures, one is a torso in red sandstone and the other is a bust of a bearded man in soapstone.
• The figure of the bearded man is interpreted as a priest and is draped in a shawl decorated with trefoil patterns.
• The eyes are elongated and half-closed, while the nose is well-formed and of medium size.
• The mouth is of average size with close-cut moustache and a short beard and whiskers.
• The hair is parted in the middle, and a plain woven fillet is passed round the head.
• An armlet is worn on the right hand, and holes around the neck suggest a necklace.

Bronze Casting

• The art of bronze-casting was practised widely by the Harappans using the ‘lost wax’ technique.
• Bronze statues included human as well as animal figures, with the best example of the former being the statue of a girl popularly titled ‘Dancing Girl’.
• Amongst animal figures in bronze, the buffalo with its uplifted head, back, and sweeping horns and the goat are of artistic merit.
• Bronze casting was popular at all the major centres of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
• Metal-casting appears to be a continuous tradition, and late Harappan and Chalcolithic sites like Daimabad in Maharashtra yielded excellent examples of metal-cast sculptures.

Terracotta

• The Indus Valley people made terracotta images also, but compared to the stone and bronze statues, the terracotta representations of human form are crude in the Indus Valley.
• The most important among the Indus figures are those representing the mother goddess.
• A terracotta mask of a horned deity has also been found, and toy carts with wheels, whistles, rattles, birds and animals, gamesmen and discs were also rendered in terracotta.

Seals

• Archaeologists have discovered thousands of seals made of steatite and other materials.
• Seals feature realistic figures of animals like unicorn bull, rhinoceros, tiger, elephant, bison, goat, and buffalo.
• Seals were primarily for commercial purposes and also used as amulets.
• The standard Harappan seal was a 2×2 square inch plaque made from steatite with a pictographic script yet to be deciphered.
• Some seals were made of ivory and featured various motifs, mainly animals, occasionally trees or human figures.
• The Pashupati Seal depicts a human figure seated cross-legged, surrounded by an elephant, tiger, rhinoceros, buffalo, and two antelopes.
• Seals date from 2500 to 1900 BCE and were found in large numbers at Mohenjodaro.
• Copper tablets with animal or human figures and inscriptions were also found, likely used as amulets.

Pottery

• Pottery is the most abundant evidence of material culture found at Harappan sites.
• The Harappan pottery is usually in shades of red, pink, buff, and sometimes black.
• The shapes and decorations of pottery were highly developed.
• The Harappan potters used a fast potter's wheel and fired their pottery at high temperatures.
• The pottery was used for cooking, storage, and other domestic purposes.
• The designs on the pottery often depict animals like elephants, rhinoceros, and bulls.
• The use of geometric and floral patterns was also common.

Beads and Ornaments

• Harappan men and women wore various ornaments made from precious metals, gemstones, bone, and baked clay.
• Jewellery included gold and semi-precious stone necklaces, copper bracelets, gold earrings, and faience pendants.
• A cemetery at Farmana shows bodies buried with ornaments.
• The bead industry was well developed, with factories at Chanhudaro and Lothal.
• Beads were made from carnelian, jasper, steatite, and other materials, often decoratively designed.
• Naturalistic models of animals like monkeys and squirrels were used as pin-heads and beads.
• Spinning of cotton and wool was common, with many spindles and spindle whorls found.
• Men and women wore attire similar to dhoti and shawl, with different hairstyles and beards popular.
• Cinnabar was used as cosmetic, and lipstick and collyrium (eyeliner) were known.
• Indus Valley craftsmen were skilled in metal casting, stone carving, pottery making and painting, and making terracotta images.

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