Handcrafted Terracotta Horses

Bankura horse or the terracotta horse is produced in Panchmura village in Bankura district of West Bengal. It is used at village rituals for a symbolic sacrifice. This is done to appease village gods and goddesses for fulfillment of wishes. People offer them as a token of their devotion to Dharma Thakur, Manasa and numerous other village deities. The horses stand tall and erect with lively long ears. The horses made for worship are usually not hollow but solid and are black or burnt orange in colour. Originally used for village rituals, they now adorn drawing rooms across the world as a symbol of Indian folk art for its elegant stance and unique abstraction.