<p>Terracotta pottery has been in existence in India for thousands of years. The decorative pots in geometric patterns or images depicting flora and fauna have been captivating people for generations. It has also made art a livelihood for many in rural areas. Today, terracotta work has traversed the boundaries of the country and has been adopted abroad. But, unfortunately artisans say that this art form is alive only in cultural exchange programmes, initiated by the government, as a model to glorify India’s past and the new generation is shying away from pursuing it as a profession.<br /><br /></p>.<p>A 62-year-old potter, R Thangaiya from Tamil Nadu explains that terracotta pottery has been practised in his family for generations, and almost everybody in his village Malaiyur learns this art while schooling. <br /><br />He tells Metrolife, “My work has seen limelight in Italy, France, Greece and so many places, but now my brothers and children don’t like this work and do not want to carry on the tradition. Earlier, we sold a lot of earthenware during festivals, but nowadays, people prefer silver, brass artefacts. In northern India, people still have a liking for this work, but in Tamil Nadu the tradition is disappearing.”<br /><br />Like Thangaiya, many had come to display their traditional terracotta work at TerraFest, organised by Delhi Blue Pottery Trust at Triveni Kala Sangam recently. Potters from villages of Orissa, Haryana, Rajasthan, Manipur and Gujarat came to display their unique designs; each work differed from the rest. Some showcased lanterns, some made life-size horses, miniature-sized horses and other figurines. As this ancient form has been evolving since generations; different parts of India have had different influences depending on their culture, festivities and utilitarian purposes. <br /><br />Abdul Ibrhim Kumbhar from Bhuj, Gujarat says, “My work is not made on the pottery wheel, it is completely handmade.” Also, he intricately paints with black and white vegetable colours which are also made by the artisans, “using materials from nature”. His pottery has the generic earthen, reddish brown colour of terracotta. “Even the paintbrush is shaped out from a bamboo branch,” he adds.<br /><br />Pottery itself has many forms. There is ceramic, stoneware, porcelain, which have their individual artistic representations and terracotta has fused with them, over the years. Through this, the pottery form that started with making diyas, flower pots and home decor items has now found larger purposes.<br /><br />Matthew Sasa from Manipur says, “I use a different clay and also use stone powder (serpentinite stone), which gives it a black colour unlike the reddish brown or earth colour and moreover the products can stand heat. So, I make cookware with the pottery. It is more labour intensive, we can only make five or six of these in a day.” <br /><br />He also explains that this terracotta work is found only in Longpi village where he comes from, because in India, the stone that he uses for the mixture is only found there. <br /><br />Another potter, Om Prakash Galav from Haryana tells Metrolife, “I have inherited the art of pottery making from my ancestors as a part of our family business. This art not only helped me earn my livelihood but also gave me a platform to carve out my imaginations in vivid <br />shapes and sizes.”<br /><br />Galav’s pottery has the touch of both ancient and modern, he has made large to miniature size terracotta wares, which can be used to decorate houses. His artefacts have sheen on them. He says, “Mostly terracotta pots take on a character as they age. The clay darkens, assuming a whitish cast from fertilisers and the minerals in water. The wax paste I use as a coat keeps a glaze on it.”<br /><br />Terracotta has numerous characters, as any art does, this too, in all its forms, in a whitish cast or with a verdant sheen of algae or moss, have its own appeal. <br /></p>
<p>Terracotta pottery has been in existence in India for thousands of years. The decorative pots in geometric patterns or images depicting flora and fauna have been captivating people for generations. It has also made art a livelihood for many in rural areas. Today, terracotta work has traversed the boundaries of the country and has been adopted abroad. But, unfortunately artisans say that this art form is alive only in cultural exchange programmes, initiated by the government, as a model to glorify India’s past and the new generation is shying away from pursuing it as a profession.<br /><br /></p>.<p>A 62-year-old potter, R Thangaiya from Tamil Nadu explains that terracotta pottery has been practised in his family for generations, and almost everybody in his village Malaiyur learns this art while schooling. <br /><br />He tells Metrolife, “My work has seen limelight in Italy, France, Greece and so many places, but now my brothers and children don’t like this work and do not want to carry on the tradition. Earlier, we sold a lot of earthenware during festivals, but nowadays, people prefer silver, brass artefacts. In northern India, people still have a liking for this work, but in Tamil Nadu the tradition is disappearing.”<br /><br />Like Thangaiya, many had come to display their traditional terracotta work at TerraFest, organised by Delhi Blue Pottery Trust at Triveni Kala Sangam recently. Potters from villages of Orissa, Haryana, Rajasthan, Manipur and Gujarat came to display their unique designs; each work differed from the rest. Some showcased lanterns, some made life-size horses, miniature-sized horses and other figurines. As this ancient form has been evolving since generations; different parts of India have had different influences depending on their culture, festivities and utilitarian purposes. <br /><br />Abdul Ibrhim Kumbhar from Bhuj, Gujarat says, “My work is not made on the pottery wheel, it is completely handmade.” Also, he intricately paints with black and white vegetable colours which are also made by the artisans, “using materials from nature”. His pottery has the generic earthen, reddish brown colour of terracotta. “Even the paintbrush is shaped out from a bamboo branch,” he adds.<br /><br />Pottery itself has many forms. There is ceramic, stoneware, porcelain, which have their individual artistic representations and terracotta has fused with them, over the years. Through this, the pottery form that started with making diyas, flower pots and home decor items has now found larger purposes.<br /><br />Matthew Sasa from Manipur says, “I use a different clay and also use stone powder (serpentinite stone), which gives it a black colour unlike the reddish brown or earth colour and moreover the products can stand heat. So, I make cookware with the pottery. It is more labour intensive, we can only make five or six of these in a day.” <br /><br />He also explains that this terracotta work is found only in Longpi village where he comes from, because in India, the stone that he uses for the mixture is only found there. <br /><br />Another potter, Om Prakash Galav from Haryana tells Metrolife, “I have inherited the art of pottery making from my ancestors as a part of our family business. This art not only helped me earn my livelihood but also gave me a platform to carve out my imaginations in vivid <br />shapes and sizes.”<br /><br />Galav’s pottery has the touch of both ancient and modern, he has made large to miniature size terracotta wares, which can be used to decorate houses. His artefacts have sheen on them. He says, “Mostly terracotta pots take on a character as they age. The clay darkens, assuming a whitish cast from fertilisers and the minerals in water. The wax paste I use as a coat keeps a glaze on it.”<br /><br />Terracotta has numerous characters, as any art does, this too, in all its forms, in a whitish cast or with a verdant sheen of algae or moss, have its own appeal. <br /></p>
