Terracotta Horses
Artist from Bankura2018
Banglanatak
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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.
- Title: Terracotta Horses
- Creator: Artist from Bankura
- Date Created: 2018
- Location: Bankura
- Subject Keywords: Crafts, Terracotta, Craftspersons, Artists, Bengal
- Rights: Banglanatak.com
- Medium: Clay
- About the craft: Terracotta is the art form where clay is used to make various items especially utensils and then baked in earthen kiln to make it more durable. Terracotta pottery is distinguishable from other forms of pottery because of the distinct type of clay that is used. The clay is rich rust red in colour because of high iron content which when reacts with oxygen gives it hues of red, orange, yellow, black. Terracotta pottery can be found in the Panchmura village of Bankura district in West Bengal.
Get the app
Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.