what does the expression harappan seals refer to?

In this post, allow's see the features of Indus Valley Civilisation arts every bit part of the Indian Civilisation notes based on the NCERT text 'An Introduction to Indian Art' – Part ane. A detailed notation about the features, sites, order, religion etc. of Indus Valley Civilisation is already published in this website. Every bit we have covered the prehistoric arts of Republic of india in the last article, we shall move to the next major era in the cultural history of India, ie. arts of Indus Valley.

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Arts of Indus Valley Civilization

• The arts of Indus Valley civilisation, i of the earliest civilisations of the earth, emerged during the second half of the tertiary millennium (Bronze Historic period).
• The forms of fine art found from various sites of culture include sculptures, seals, pottery, aureate ornaments, terracotta figures, etc.
• Their depiction of human and animal figures was highly realistic in nature.
• Modelling of figures was done in an extremely careful manner.
• Two major sites of Indus Valley civilisation, along the river Indus are: Due north – cities of Harappa;Due south – Mohenjo-Daro.

• The site showcase one of the earliest examples of civic planning.
• Houses, markets, storage facilities, offices, etc. bundled in a filigree-like pattern.
• In this design, roads were cutting across 1 another in 90-caste angle and the city was divided into blocks.
• There was likewise a highly developed drainage system.
• While Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro are situated in Pakistan, the important sites excavated in Bharat are:
  • Lothal, Surkotada, Dholavira – Gujarat
  • Rakhigarh and Banwali – Haryana
  • Ropar – Punjab
  • Kalibangan and Balatha – Rajasthan

Materials used: Stone, Statuary, Terracotta, Dirt etc.

The arts of Indus valley which are excavated yet are:

Stone Statues:

• Stone statues found in Indus valley sites are excellent examples of handling the 3D volume.
• Two major rock statues are:

1. Bearded Human (Priest Man, Priest-King)

• Plant in Mohenjo-Daro.
• Disguised human's effigy fabricated ofSteatite.
• The effigy interpreted as a priest and is draped in a shawl coming nether the right arm and covering the left shoulder.
• The shawl is decorated with trefoil design.
• The eyes are elongated and half closed as in a meditative concentration.
• Olfactory organ is well formed and medium size.
• Short cutting moustache and a short beard and whiskers.
• Pilus is parted in the eye and a obviously woven fillet is passed round the head.
• An armlet on the right hand and holes around neck suggest necklace.
• A slight impact of the Greek fashion of statues can exist seen overall.

2. Male Torso

• Found in Harappa (only major art element constitute in Harappa).
• Made of Red Sandstone.
• There are socket holes in the neck and shoulders for the attachment of head and artillery.
• Legs are broken.
• The shoulders are well baked and the abdomen slightly prominent.
• One of the well carved and finished piece of work.

Bronze Casting:

• Statuary casting was practiced in wide scale in almost all major sites of the civilization.
• The technique used for Statuary Casting was Lost Wax Technique.

[Initially, the effigy needed is made of wax and covered it with clay. After allowed to dry the dirt, the whole affair is heated then that the wax within the clay will be melted. The molten wax was then drained out through a tiny hole made in the clay function. The hollow mold of clay thus created was filled with molten metallic. One time it cooled, the clay cover was completely removed].

• Human likewise as fauna figures are present in the Bronze casting.
• Amid animal figures the buffalo with its uplifted head, back and sweeping horns and the goat are artistic merits.
• Copper dog and bird of Lothal and the Statuary figure of a balderdash from Kalibangan shows that Statuary casting was popular at all centers of Indus valley civilization.
• Metal casting continued even subsequently the Indus valley civilization through late Harappan, Chalcolithic people, etc.
• Examples of Bronze casting are:

1. Dancing Girl

• Found from Mohenjo-Daro.
• Made upwardly of Statuary.
• One of the all-time-known artifacts from Indus valley.
• Approximately 4-inch high figure of a dancing daughter.
• This exquisite casting depicts a girl whose long hair is tied in the bun and bangles encompass her left arm.
• Cowry crush necklace is seen around her neck.
• Her right hand is on her hip and her left hand is clasped in a traditional Indian dance gesture.
• She has large eyes and apartment nose.

2. Bull from Mohenjo-Daro

• Bronze figure of the bull plant in Mohenjo-Daro.
• The massiveness of the bull and the fury of the charge are eloquently expressed.
• The brute is shown standing with his head turned to the right.
• In that location is a cord around the neck.

Terracotta:

• Terracotta figures are more realistic in Gujarat sites and Kalibangan.
• In terracotta, we find a few figurines of bearded males with coiled hairs, their posture rigidly upright, legs slightly apart, and the arms parallel to the sides of the body. The repetition of this effigy in exactly the aforementioned position would suggest that he was a deity.
• A terracotta mask of a horned deity has as well been establish.
• Toy carts with wheels, whistles, rattles, bird and animals, gamesmen, and discs were also rendered in terracotta.
• The almost of import terracotta figures are those correspond Mother Goddess.

1. Female parent Goddess

• Mainly found in Mohenjo-Daro.
• These figures are usually crude standing figures.
• Adorned with necklaces hanging over the prominent breast and wearing a loin cloth and a grid.
• The fan-shaped headdress with a loving cup like projection on each side is a distinct decorative characteristic of the female parent goddess.
• The pellet eyes and beaked nose of the figure are very crude (constructed in a rudimentary style).
• Mouth is indicated past a narrow opening.

Seals:

• Thousands of seals were discovered from the sites, usually fabricated of steatite, and occasionally of agate, chert, copper, faience and terracotta, with beautiful figures of animals such as unicorn balderdash, rhinoceros, tiger, elephant, bison, caprine animal, buffalo, etc.
• The purpose was mainly commercial.
• They were also used as amulets, carried on the persons of their owners, perhaps every bit modernistic identity cards.
• Standard Harappan seal was ii ten 2 square inches.
• Every seal is engraved in a pictographic script which is yet to be deciphered.
• Some seals were also been found in Gold and Ivory.

1. Seals of Pashupati Mahadeva

• Constitute in Mohenjo-Daro.
• The seal depicts a human figure seated cross legged.
• An elephant and a tiger are depicted to the correct side of the figure, while on the left a rhino and a buffalo are seen.
• Two antelopes (deer) are shown below the seat (nearby his feet).
• The effigy has a three horned head.

Pottery:

• Indus valley pottery consists of very fine cycle made wares, very few being handmade.
• Plainly pottery is more common than painted ware.
• Plain pottery is mostly cerise clay, with or without a fine red or greyness skid.
• The black painted ware has a fine coating of red slip on which geometric and beast designs are executed in glossy black paint.

1. Painted Earthen Jar

• Found in Mohenjo-Daro.
• Made on a potters' wheel with clay.
• The shape was manipulated past pressure level of the crafty fingers of the potter.
• After baking a clay model, information technology was painted with black colour.
• High polishing was washed equally a finishing touch.
• Motifs are vegetal and geometric forms.
• Designs are elementary.

Beads, Ornaments and Cosmetics:

• The Harappan men and women busy themselves with a large variety of ornaments produced from every conceivable materials ranging from precious metals and gemstones to bone and baked clay.
• White necklaces, fillets, armlets and finger rings were usually worn by both sexes.
• Jewellery institute at Mohenjo-Daro and Lothal include necklaces of gilded and semiprecious metal stones, copper bracelets and beads, gold earrings and head ornaments.
• A cemetery has been establish at Farmona in Harappa where dead bodies were cached with ornaments.
• Well adult bead industries were present at Chauhudaro and Lothal.
• Some beads were made of two or more than stones cemented together.
• Also made models of animals, especially monkeys and squirrels, used equally pin head and beads.
• Spinning of cotton and wool was very common (both rich and poor practiced spinning).
• Men and women wore ii separate pieces of attire similar to dhoti and shawl.
• Shawl covered the left shoulder passing beneath right arm.
• They were conscious of fashion.
• Different hair styles were in vogue and beard was pop.
• Cinnabar was used as a cosmetic and face up-paint, lipstick and collyrium (eyeliner) were besides known to them.

Compiled by Jijo Sudashan

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