Black Pottery | Khurja Pottery | Terracotta

Black Pottery

Pottery is as  man. Through the use of the word mati which in local dialect means both man and clay, the potter rises to the level of the creator. And indeed , the pliant nature of the clay makes man mould it to his own design. Pottery as craft goes back o the  earliest of times, when man not only used to make utensils, but also used clay tablets for writing text and instructions . Though a number of States practice the tradition, Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh has it own status. This town is  renowned for its black pottery where terracotta marathons or jars, surahis or long-necked and spouted Vessels, lamps and containers for of, betel leaves and even ink are imparted with a lustrous black colour. The clay of the region is light-yellow and olive in colour and has a very fine texture which moulds very well to forms. once it is given shape and firing, the pottery is washed with a slip, powered mango bark and crude carbonate of soda. The surface is then burnished with mustard oil after which a sharp  twig is used for decoration. It is then subjected to smoke firing which results in tis characteristic black shine. The grooves of the design are subsequently filled in by hand with ( a fine silvery powder that is a mixture of lead, zinc and mercury) which when washed with water and polished, radiates a silvery hue against the black background of the terracotta.

Khurja Pottery

Khurja in Uttar Pradesh is another centre famous for its pottery tradition. The potter of this crea has evolved a style of his own. He has given the craft patterns in relief with the use f thick slips. The tradition is relatively new in comparision with othert pottery trends, though pottery itself is as basic form and texture of the tradition., the potter maintains the basic form and texture of the article. There is fine harmonious blends of colours which makes the pottery pleasing to the eye. the  craft fasinates not only because of the form but also he texture of the craft items.The potter of Khurja also excells with the delights use of warm autumnal colours like orange, brown and a speical light red. Floral designs in sky –blue are worked aginst a white bacjground. A specially of khurja is the pitcher-like form decoraed in relief bya thick slip. These water pots are noted for their uniforms green-blue glazes with plain surface, the base being prepared from red clay. Khurja pottery is famous all over the country and is now finding a ready market aboard.

Terracotta

Clay craft has been called lyrical handicraft. For , it lends itself beautifully to shape, sheen design and paint. And one such tradition that grew with patronage of arts was the terracotta crafts. This tradition in clay craft has its roots in the large Buddhist “Viharas” that  came into existence during the Pale dynasty in Bihar and West Bengal. The clay of this region had a to find elsewhere. The clay of this region had a naturally malleably nature with a rust red quality that was hard to find elsewhere. The Buddhists in their  simple recluse nature perpatuated the tradition by employing craftsman to decorate their dwelling. And with this , form the wall of the vihars terracotta traditions moved to the homes of artisans and potters. These craftsmen turned to design itemsof domestic animal forms, tiles and bricks.