2. To the souls who mould their own destiny
who dream of a soulful creation,
and weep not when it falls,
who sit by the engulfing flame,
and linger for it to be pure,
who know of what they deserve
yet crib not for it all.
3. Foreword
Sometimes it is polished. Sometimes left raw. Such is the aura of this magnificent craft, that even
when left untreated, TERRACOTTA, displays the most beautiful aesthetics. This compilation takes
the reader on a pensive journey, explaining through an array of photographs, stories and poems, the
happiness and hardships of a potter’s life. The practitioners of terracotta have been striving to protect
this art from the onslaught of modernity, erosion of culture and tradition and people’s growing craze for
sophisticated high-tech decorative items. The old generation of artists hopes to see a new height of the art
after a full time engagement of the next generation in the coming years.
Being one of the most eco-friendly crafts, which incepts from the earth and returns back to the same -
terracotta witnesses immense influence from the Kumhar culture. The black, red and yellow soils, splendid
tools and equipments, glorious everyday lives and surrounding influences form the podium for these
beautiful artefacts. Photographs can only bring out the instance of reference, but to know the ground
reality of this craft, one needs to witness the ever-growing vicinity of this traditional “Mud-Art” antiquity...
4. Soft, comfortable, bright and energetic. The muted earthy
colours drawn from nature create a tranquil and soothing
aura giving relaxation and invigoration.
PANTONE 7585 C
5. As his cautious hands move re
lentlessly in syn
chronization with the motion of the wheel,
the clay gets moulded into a poetic form. The
vivid eyes, stream focussed, gazing at the rising
beauty, leave the seer mesmerized by the skills,
making the potter the moulder of his own destiny.
The moulding of form out of a formless mass is
bringing in life to a lifeless pot. And it becoming
imperishablethroughfiring,isthemostmiraculous
creation.
As they say, human got its inception from the earth and will be dissolved in the same one
day. Earth is to be played with, worshiped and used as a pathway to livelihood.
The journey of terracotta begins with a crystalline amalgamation of earth and water.
Women knead the dough, smooth as a still lake. Considered a symbol of purity , clay
translates the potter’s hardships, struggles and efforts.
“
6. The clay when laid on the wheel is maneuvered and
manipulated using a range of equipment.
Non- precious stones, cut-off wires, thin
bladed knives, sponge, and potter’s
callipers give shape to the
artefact. It’s difficult to decipher
how immaculately the potter
uses his ring to shave off
the uneven edges and
lay the design imprints,
the groves and the
rings and the indents.
These imperfect
marks are what
create the perfect
designs.
7. Perfect Imperfections
Breath of silence surrounds
As the crooked bows down
Seating amid the spotless
yet in solitude
Ignorant of the gazes which awe of its uniqueness
In all its might, it stands straight again.
8. Symmetrically arranged pots inside the kiln await to be baked,
large or small, round or flat, all go through the same immersive
heat of the kiln. As the sun drowns into the clear blue sky, the black
smoke rises up building a canopy of darkness and smoulder.
The evening sky in Uttam Nagar looks like the Neptune’s atmosphere
when all the houses fire their kilns. The smooth, repetitive to and fro
motion of the hand tirelessly adds the sawdust to reach a temperature
of 2300 degree Fahreiheit, testing the strength of the pots and
patience of their maker.
Going through hours of heat and smoke, continuously adding fuel to keep the fire on, the makers also burn with the
flame to keep the aura of the pots alive. Many that withstand the heat emerge out bold and baked, while the others
develop cracks or break completely. This goes for the pots as well as the potters. A piece of completely dried pottery is
known as ‘greenware’. In a purely passive state where they can neither be moulded nor can anything be carved onto
them, these pieces of pottery await to undergo the tests of flame. Firing to 1800 degree Fahreiheit with one complete
cycle of heating and cooling in the kiln converts the greenware to bisque ware .
9. Potter’s feel utmost pride in their hard
work. Though the kiln takes away the
potter’s hard earned money in the form
of fuel but just like a loyal friend, it gives
all his love in the form of perfectly fired
pots. Ironically, its the fire that burns their
creations to life and in return gifts their
skin, the bruises.
10. An expression of a pot
ter’s aesthetic sensibilities, clay sculptures are not merely
pieces of mud carved into bodies, they are artistic depictions of the potter’s local
lifestyle and folk culture. The aesthetic appeal of painted pots is apparently related
to the artistic beauty of the patterns executed. Folklores from the ‘colourful lands’ of
Rajasthan enter the lanes of Uttam Nagar, getting depicted on pots, lamps and
sculptures in the form of figures and motifs.
The composition of these figurative tales speaks a volume about the folk culture, rick
heritage and exquisite style of the rajasthani folk art and dance forms. The distinctive
styles and features of these clay figures reflect the custom
ary and traditional ‘dhoti’,
‘kurta’ and ‘saafa’ worn by the men and ‘ghagr-choli’ worn by the women. The use
of pottery has not been limited by functionality and aesthetics, but is also used as a
traditional autophonic instrument. The ‘matkas’ (a pair of huge earthenware pots),
‘kamaycha’(a string instrument with a big circular resonator) depicted in the clay
figures bring the grassroot culture to life in these modern days.
11. Intricately carved flowers and leaves garnish the surface area
of the diyas (deep
am), in elegant ornamentation . The sapt
(seven) mukhi diyas, bright and bold, are an evocative remi-
niscence of The Pink City.
Having a deep cultural and spiritual significance
in the Indi-
an cultutre, the auspicious deepam is symbolic of knowledge.
Lighting the deepam is believed to enlighten all our activities
to gain knowledge also embraced as ‘dharma’. Fed on the
oil consistent devotion and brightened by the breeze of pure
love and devotion, the wick of intellect is strengthened. The
festive season of ‘deepavali’ is enlivened by the spirit of light
and purity.
12. Stacked with perfection, the pots remind the spectator
about the finesse in a potter’s hand. Rendered in
fascination with numerous flaws. Strong yet fragile. Such is
the delicate facade of these earthen products. Waiting to
be sold to an elated owner, the pots become tougher with
prolonged exposure to sunlight. Coming out of the hot kiln
and withstanding all possible harsh conditions, the pots keep
the things stored inside cool and soothing.
13. Exuding beauty and refinement with mirror like shine, these eclectic collections are an
enchantment to the. With much detailing as their large counterparts, the art of making
miniatures with perfection is truly a skill. The fragile looking elements mature through sharp
focus, yet are strong enough to withstand the high glazing temperature. Dating back to 19th
century, this form of polished pottery was first found at various sites at Taxila in 1913.
14. The heat of summer hardens the pots, giving them
strength and so to the women. The norms and
life of these women are no different than the clay
pots. Age old traditions and taboos against women
touching the wheel, though very strong, do not defy
the importance of women in this craft. Responsible
for the aesthetic appeal and the detailed motif work,
the women represent their share of contribution in the
most appealing manner. Through subtle inputs, the
young children of the family also imbibe the skill.
Something very peculiar about this art form, they are all hollow. Hollow and empty! The craftsmen works in a
void, creating lightweight art pieces preventing cracks in the forms. The potter’s fingers expertly trail the contours
of the lump of clay to define its shape. The shapes, textures and shadows weave together a story of light and
darkness in a language of their own.
15. Populated mostly by immigrant families from
Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujrat, theKumhar
colony has now become a hub of outsourced
pottery products. Though making pottery is an
authentic craft, in an effort to achieve higher
standards of living, most families have deviated
from practicing the craft and are attuned
to outsourcing clay pottery from Kolkata,
comprising of diyas, figures of animals and gods
and goddesses. With a wide array of display
of their goods, the sellers sit aside as the night
watch to their goods.
