About Artilecious

About Terracotta

From the Italian “terra cotta” (meaning “baked earth”) derived the word “terracotta”. The Italian word originated from the Latin “terra cocta”. Pottery, the art of making pots from clay, is of different types according to the material used. Among these, earthenware, stoneware and porcelain are three major types of potterywares. Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery which are usually fired at lower temperatures than porcelain, bone china and stoneware. Among all the types of earthenware, terracotta is the most famed and prominent one, spread over different geographic regions in different forms. The history of clay pottery dates back to the dawn of civilization. It all began as others.. necessity. After the invention of the “wheel” or “Chakra” the pots were first to be made, only to suffice the needs of day to day life. Pots, of different forms and shapes, were created. Then came the idols. The religious cult and social heritage of different region gave birth to the outstanding art of handicraft and with time, the evolution culminated in producing some of the finest art forms and some talented artisans.

Terracotta art forms are one of the most ancient art forms with trails evident in ruins of different civilizations, over different time period, all over the globe. Terracotta female figurines & jewelleries were uncovered in excavations of Mohenjo-daro (3000–1500 BC). Burney Relief (the Queen of the Night relief) is an outstanding Mesopotamian (1950 BC) terracotta plaque. The famous Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (209–210 BC), the ancient Greeks' Tanagra figurines (4th century BC ), the statuette of Aphrodite known as Aphrodite Heyl (2nd century BC ), Etruscan art forms such as the Apollo of Veii and the Sarcophagus of the Spouses are some other examples of numerous terracotta art forms, spread all over the world, originating in different time spans with different artistic psyche and socio-cultural shade, amalgamated with contemporary religious beliefs. Clay pottery, in India, is older than the concept of India itself. Since the Neolithic periods & Indus valley civilization, through the Vedic ages and Gupta pe inriod to this modern day, artisans from different parts of India have been nurturing this heritage art form. The traditional terracotta art, particularly of Bengal, is unique in its own form & considered to be the best in the world. The time period when it came to Bengal is not exactly known, but the fertile alluvial soil of the Ganges helped it to grow and develop here. Bengal clay pottery can be divided into two segments – Bankura (Bishnupur) clay pottery and Krishnanagar clay pottery, Bankura’s art form being older than that of Krishnanagar. During the reign of Malla dynasty terracotta of Bishnupur (Bankura) forms excelled to its peak, in the late medieval period. In the late sixteenth & early seventeenth century, during the Vaishnavite movement, Malla kings of Bishnupur started constructing temples. The locally available terracotta art forms became the most suitable object for decoration. Terracotta bricks, with indigenously sculpted terracotta wall carvings, created some of the exquisite marvels of Bengal heritage. Terracotta horses and elephants comprise the main objects of Bankura clay modeling. It was the “Kumbhakars” or potters of Panchmura, a place in Bishnupur, who started to make the famous Bankura horses and elephants. They derived their inspiration from the glorious history of kings, soldiers and wars, local village gods and worship of various kinds of tribal, semi-tribal and folk deities including stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata and others. Bishnupur, during the reign of Malla rajas, turned into the capital of art and culture of Bengal. The ethos of Bishnupur art forms spread to the rural and muffasil areas of Bengal in the 18th century and afterwards. The skilled artisans who once created the terracotta carvings on temple-wall-panels gradually scattered to various parts of southern Bengal like the villages of Bardhaman, Hooghly, Nadia etc. Today, West Bengal is the largest producer of terracotta products in the country. And among all the types of clay pottery prevalent here, Panchmura-style of pottery is the best and the finest of all. The symmetry of shape, the rounded curves, especially of the horse, has lent a dignity and charm to its form which is incomparable. Simplicity and dynamism are the chief components of Panchmura-style.

About Dokra

Dokra (or Dhokra) is an age-old art of casting using the lost-wax technique. This technique for casting of copper based alloys has been found in India, Egypt, China, Americas, Nigeria, Malaysia and many other places. In India, it is a heritage of nearly 4000 years since the dates of Mahenjo-daro. The “Dancing girl” of Mahenjo-daro is one of the earliest known lost-wax artefacts. This technique is named after the tribes Dokra Damar who actually use this for casting. They are the traditional metalsmiths of West Bengal. The tribe extends from West Bengal to Jharkhand to Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. However, the style and workmanship vary a lot from state to state. Two main types of lost wax casting are there—hollow casting and solid casting. Hollow casting, which uses a clay core, is the ancient traditional method and it is prevalent in Eastern and Central India. Solid casting technique is popular among south Indian tribes—it does not use any clay core, rather uses a solid piece of wax to create the mould. In the lost wax hollow casting technique, a clay core is developed first which is of roughly the same shape of the final cast image. Now, it is covered with a layer of wax made of pure beeswax, resin from the tree Damara orientalis and nut oil. Then the finer details and decorations are developed by shaping and carving the wax. Again it is covered with layers of clay, which takes the negative form of the wax on the inside and becomes a mould for the metal that will be poured inside it. Drain ducts are left so that the wax can melt away when the whole structure is heated to a very high temperature. In the last step, molten metal (most often brass scrap) is poured through ducts which replaces the wax and takes the same shape. Now the outer layer of clay is chipped off and the metal icon is polished and finished as desired. It is a highly laborious and time consuming art form. Even a simple form takes 5-7 days and finer and more decorated designs may take weeks to months to be completed. Weather conditions also have some effect in the due course. But all’s well that ends well—the primitive simplicity and the aesthetic beauty of the exquisite variety of dokra figurines, folk motifs, elephants, horses, peacocks, owls and also household articles like measuring bowls, lamp sheds are collector’s pride and their neighbour’s envy. To own you this heritage, Team Artilecious has brought a very wide range of dokra handicrafts hand-picked directly from the courtyards of masters of this age-old artistry scattered over Bengal, especially Bankura and Burdwan.


About Terracotta Wall Hangings  

Terracotta Wall Hangings.. How these are made?

The whole figure is first created from a special clay using hands, then usually divided into pieces and each piece is and burnt separately using  terracotta method. The pieces are then arranged in order and glued together on a wooden board.

Subjects?

We work on tribal art forms, scenery, folk art forms, abstracts, religious idols including mythological events and characters

Price?

Individual price varies widely depending upon the figures.

But we encourage our customers to think, modify and create. We can fit in any given specification , if feasible. Please share your your needs, including any customization or bulk purchase, with us here or email us at cs@artilecious.com .

If we are asked to work within a budget we assure our commitment in delivering the best cost-affordable art forms.