Gifts
of Earth
Terracottas & Clay Sculptures of India
Stephen Huyler
Publisher: Mapin Intl
Date: January 1996
Clay is essential to Indian culture past and present. It is accessible
everywhere; it takes form with very little effort; and its fragility
assures its constant renewal. It has been the perfect vehicle for
Indian creativity throughout the ages. The shapes and styles of items
made of clay, both fired and unfired, are innumerable. They comprise
everything from the miniscule to the gigantic, from simple to highly
ornate, from realistic to abstract, from purely practical to utterly
fantastic. Many of the potters who make then act dual roles as craftsmen
and as links to the god. Their products are often remarkably similar
to those found in ancient archaeological sites and many potters believe
that they are directly descended from India’s earliest craftsmen.
There are more working potters in India than in any other country
of the world – more than 350 thousand! Every community, however
small, usually incorporates at least one working potter, while towns
and cities have large potting populations. As these craftsmen cater
to an extraordinary diversity of subcultures, traditions and environments,
their products are usually varied. They make vessels for every conceivable
household use; from the simplest clay lamps, cooking pots and food
containers, to storage bins eight feet high. They sculpt images to
be used in religious ceremonies ranging from tiny figures made form
pinches of clay to magnificent horses and elephants over eighteen
feet tall, the largest terracottas ever created in the history of
humanity.
In a text sumptuously illustrated in colour, the author and photographer,
Stephen P. Huyler, surveys this exciting craft through examples from
all over India. He documents contemporary potters; their techniques
and production, and the use of clay in the households and temples
today, exploring comparison of today’s products with those of
ancient India. Discovered by the author during nineteen years of extensive
travel, research, and photography throughout the Indian subcontinent,
most of these sculptures and vessels have never been documented before.