Clay roof tiles – part of a pitched (sloped) roof system, with burnt clay tiles laid on (usually) a timber under-structure – are a quintessential feature in several parts of the Indian countryside. Clay roof tiles are appropriate for most parts of the country, except where strong winds and cyclones, and/or snow, are frequent. Good […]
Traditionally all the villages in Tamil Nadu had clay figures of the village diety Ayyanaar accompanied by his army who guarded their entrance; the belief system was and is till today that these figures guard the villages from evil. There is a temple built for the deities and this temple traditionally located at the entrance […]
Manipur’s coiled pottery is singular not only because the items are made without using a wheel or moulds, but also because Manipur is perhaps the only state in India where pottery is regarded as a woman’s craft – the skill of making clay pots is said to be a divine gift bestowed on the women […]
Aruvacode, a small village near Nilambur in North Kerala had in the past been well known for its highly skilled potters. About one hundred families of traditional potters continued to follow their trade of making pots, household utensils and other objects. However a scarcity of clay, firewood and other raw material, the influx of cheap […]
Art in handicraft has been regarded as timeless and dateless. Clay and terracotta figures have been existing continuously from pre-historic times. There have been an implicit continuity in the traditional knowledge and technology of making artefacts of clay by adding several materials and if required, firing the artefacts thus made. The fired clay was called […]
Clay is regarded as sacred, holding within it the power to create and destroy. It is a symbol of impermanence and change, of regeneration and renewal, created using the three elements: earth, fire and water. Traditionally, in India, clay objects are used and then broken, to be replaced constantly by newer objects. There are said […]