Clay/ Terracotta/ Ceramics/ POP

Southern India has its own distinctive glazed pottery. Vellore in North Arcot district has a tradition of black and red pottery. Usilampatti in Madurai district has black pottery painted 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 namakette decorated with patterns and dish trays), flower vases, decorative animal and bird figures, paperweights and tableware.

Terracotta works of Rajasthan are also extremely famous. Nohar in Bikaner is famous for the intricate ware in terracotta produced here. Jallore and Ahora districts specialize in the terracotta horses which hold religious significances for the natives and are tourists’ favorite keepsakes. Nagaur and Merta are also famed for the many trinkets and terracotta jewellery produced there. Molela has earned a name for the amazing carved plaques and figurines of terracotta made there.

The art of making blue glaze pottery came to Rajasthan via Kashmir, the Mughal emperors’ favourite retreat and, more importantly, their entry point into India. The use of blue glaze on pottery made from Multani mitti, or Fuller’s earth, is essentially an imported technique, first developed by enterprising Mongol artisans who combined Chinese glazing technology with Persian decorative arts. This technique travelled south to India with early Muslim potentates in the 14th century. During its infancy, it was strictly used to make tiles to decorate mosques, tombs and palaces in Central Asia.

Later, the Mughals began using them in India, in a bid to mimic their beloved structures from beyond the mountains in Samarkand.

The famous art of pottery has been practiced here from ancient times, which is expressed in the manufacture of the famous Ayyannar horses. The horses are said to protect each village from evil. The large terracotta horses are made in Salem and Pudukottai. The horses were originally made and fired individually. But with increasing popularity of terracotta art items, the moulds began to be put into use.

Terracotta and clay sculptures occupy an important place in the golden pages of the history. In old times clay sculptures were exposed to sun to get dry and baked and later they were put in the ashes of open fireplace to harden them. After this process, these sculptures were kept in high temperature to give it a finishing of ceramic material. Basically the items that are made of terracotta and clay don brownish orange color. These objects have a very earthen look and it is this feel that attracts travelers from far and wide places to splurge their money on these.

In Uttar Pradesh Khurja has evolved its own style in the earthenware. By adding colour to the dull and unattractive pottery khurja gave a lease of life to it. The shades and the designs in contrast to its background can attract the attention of any person with the aesthetic sense. Apart from Khurja , Rampur surahis along with the water containers from Meerut and Hapur are famous all around the nation for their shapes , designs, colours and their ability to keep the water cold even during the harsh summer days.