Pottery - The age-old relationship between India and its soil

Pottery is clay that is modelled, dried and fired into vessels or other decorative objects of durable form. It is one of the oldest traditional artworks and professions of India, ageing back to the Neolithic era. The growth and improvement of the industry was seen during the Indus Valley Civilisation, thanks to the people from back then who had extensive enthusiasm for art.

Pottery has now come a long way, coming into the category of cottage industry and proving a livelihood to millions in the country. These people include artisans who are into pottery and also to non-artisans who want to earn a living in the slack seasons of agriculture. Over the years pottery has developed to become a beautiful form of expression.

The period from 200 B.C to 300 A.D marks the landmark slot of pottery advances in India and our rich literature also makes mentions about the different kinds of potteries that existed and the uses of them.

 

The making:

The contemporary literature speaks very little about the techniques of making pottery. However, mentions exist in the Jatakas, Patanjali’s Mahabhasya, Atharvaveda and Jain Literature.

Fabric:

• Types of clayClay can be of two kinds, namely Primary clay and Secondary clay. The clay that remains in contact with the igneous rock is known as Primary clay. Secondary clay is the result of having been carried by agencies such as water farther from its source and carries impurities.
  
  Almost all the clay of the ancient pottery was out of Secondary clay and the Gangetic Basin has been one of the fertile sources for such clay.

• Preparation of the paste:The potters clay is aged or weathered. The clay is spread and exposed to the sun. This is called as the degeneration process and takes a few months. It is done to remove impurities from the clay. Once the clay is pure, it is moistened with lime water and mixed to the desired consistency. Ingredients such as silica, sand grit, husk mica and lime are mixed into the clay to bring it to the leather hard stage, when the clay is fit for throwing on the wheel.
• Throwing or turning:The throwing or turning method comprises of shaping the clay to the desired manner. There are 2 ways in which this is done:

Handmade Pottery: This pottery made by means of entirely using hands and its appearance is not even due to thumb impressions, irregular sections and shape.


Wheel made pottery: This is the process of turning the pottery by means of wheel. Here, the potter places a lump of clay on the wheel head and then sets it in motion. Then he gradually works the soft clay between his fingers, thumbs and palm to form the desired shape of the object.

Surface treatment

• The surface treatment of the pot is made in the leather hard stage. Various techniques of surface treatment are Slip, Burnishing slip, Wash, Glaze and Salt Glaze.

Firing

Firing of the pots is done in two ways, either in open kiln or in closed kiln.

• Open kiln: In the open kiln pots meant for firing are piled one upon another covering them with combustible materials like husk, straw and dung cakes. They are set fire and the flames are allowed to come into contact with the pots directly.
• Closed kiln: The pots are placed in rectangular wooden boxes and kept in different levels, untouched or detached. The kiln is closed on all sides except one side by which the heat is sent beneath the wooden boxes. The heat is uniform and there is no indifferent firing.

Decoration:

After all this, the product is finally ready for decoration. Artisans are absolute masters in this work. The main decorating techniques used for pottery are Incision, Applique, Stamping, Moulding, Painting, and Rouletting.

Glazed and Unglazed Pottery:

Glaze is a glassy coating of pottery, which is done to render porous pottery vessels that does not allow water and other liquids to pass through. In India, the making of glazed pottery came into being with the advent of Arab influence in India.

Unglazed pottery is said to be the finest variety of pottery in India. There are 3 styles in Unglazed pottery that is Paper-thin (biscuit coloured pottery with incised patterns), Scrafito technique (pot painted with red and white slips into intricate patterns) and Arabesques (polished pottery is given strong, deeply incised stylised patterns. It is also covered with black dots).

Trade centres in India:

Uttar Pradesh is particularly responsible for taking the pottery industry to new heights. Parts of Uttar Pradesh like Khurja, Chinhar, Chunar, Phulpur, Mathura, Agra, Vrindavan, Ghaziabad, Jhansi, Moradabad, Kanpur, Etmadpur, Rampur and Aligarh are engaged in pottery making.

Other places include Kangra and Andreta in Himachal Pradesh, Pokhran in Rajasthan, Kanpur in Maharashtra, Kutch in Gujarat, Jahjjar in Haryana, Birbhum in Bengal and Manipur. Each of these regions are famous for their special styles of pottery.

Kangra is noted for Black Pottery, which resembles the Harappan pottery style.

Unglazed pottery has a wide range and is produced in Kutch, Kanpur and Alwar. Alwar is known for paper-thin pottery called Kagzi.

To sum it up, the making of pottery is spread all over India. It has utilitarian, decorative and religious purposes and is an inevitable part of an Indian household.

Problems with the industry:

There are numerous problems associated with pottery trade which are also diverse in character. These include irregular supply of raw materials, lack of working capital, old and inefficient technology, lack of diversification of products, competition from cheap machine-made goods and bad marketing facilities. The artisans are often exploited by middlemen who squeeze most of the profits.

The artisans work very hard to earn a living and also play a role in preserving the techniques of making authentic pottery. They certainly deserve praise and encouragement. The problems are serious and should be solved by Government and non-governmental initiatives to develop the industry to a great extent.