Terracotta Art of Rajasthan: Pre Harappan and Harappan Times to the Gupta Period

The present book is the first ever comprehensive treatment of the terracotta art of Rajasthan. The framing of chronology of the entire terracotta wealth of Rajasthan right from the Mesolithic down to the Gupta times is of outstanding value. The study is not only based on the original excavated materials, but also on geographical, historical, ethno-archaeological specimens and textual accounts. Under the term `terracotta arf scholars have usually studied only the human and animal terracotta figurines. Other specimens such as votive objects, ornaments, tools, toys, toilet items, amusement, etc., of terracotta have relatively been ignored. The author of this book has made the entire range of terracotta artifacts the subject of her in depth study. She endeavours to focus on the evolutionary trend of the terracotta art and technique, hitherto most neglected part in the field of terracotta art, and brings to light the socio-economic and religious aspects of the ancient Rajasthan as reflected through these art objects. Further, these terracotta objects have been widely compared with those excavated from different sites in the whole of Indian subcontinent. The present study also attempts to delineate the nature of settlement from where these objects have been recovered. The wide variety of terracotta objects, marked by intricate workmanship, frequency, etc., denotes whether the site represents an urban or a rural settlement. Well integrated with the text, the book contains a scrupulous selection of photographs and line-drawings of many terracotta art objects, some of them illustrated for the first time.