Seated male in namaskar pose (2700 BC - 2100 BC) by UnknownNational Museum - New Delhi
This highly-stylised ceramic figure was discovered at Harappa, in modern-day Pakistan, and is thought to be nearly 5000 years old. It appears to depict a person sat in a yogic pose, with legs folded and hands held in namaskar position.
The rough red terracotta and the lack of costume, ornaments, and headdress is typical of Harappan figurines, which seem to have been produced with simplicity in mind. Note the roughly modelled lips and eyes, made with just a few hand-pressed blobs of clay.
Climbing monkey (2500 BC) by UnknownNational Museum - New Delhi
Around the same time, this climbing monkey was made in Sindh, Pakistan. It grasps a stick firmly with its hands and feet, and looks out to the viewer. Incised lines capture its glossy fur coat and its expressive face.
This lifelike monkey shows that artisans of early Indian civilisations were more than capable of rendering realistic scenes if they wanted to, and that stylisation was a choice made for aesthetic reasons.
Lady horse rider (600 AD - 800 AD) by UnknownNational Museum - New Delhi
Some 3000 years later, this sculpture of a noble lady (recognisable by her tall hat and makeup) riding a horse was made. It was discovered in Astana, Kazakhstan, which was once a major trading post along the Silk Road, and which would have known visitors such as her.
Ceramic sculptures such as these were made for funerals; miniature dancers, attendants, cooks, and musicians would accompany the deceased into the afterlife, providing all the pleasures of life in eternity. They show us what the people of their era valued in life and death.
Vairochana Buddha (500 AD - 700 AD) by UnknownNational Museum - New Delhi
This is a fragment of a 1500 year-old wall painting from the Buddhist shrine at Balawaste, modern-day Iran, showing the Buddha, seated in meditation, with various auspicious symbols drawn (or perhaps tattooed) over his body.
The most important symbols on his chest are the srivatsa mark which is usually seen on the chest of Vishnu and Mahavira, and the scene of samudra manthana, or the churning of the oceans, one of the best-known stories of the Hindu mythology.
Swami Haridasa with Tansen and Akbar at Vrindavana (1700 AD - 1760 AD) by UnknownNational Museum - New Delhi
In this piece, the shaven-headed Swami Haridasa, a singer and poet of high order, is seated with his tambura in his hermitage at Vrindavana, a verdant environment full of plants, trees, flowering shrubs and creepers.
Facing him is his disciple Tansen, and the Mughal emperor Akbar. The painting relates to a famous story that Haridasa refused Akbar's command to play at court, instead, Akbar had to visit Haridasa, as the only king he would honour is the king of kings - the Almighty.
al Buraq (1770/1775) by unknownNational Museum - New Delhi
The composite being in this painting is based on the story of Al Buraq, who carried Prophet Muhammad into the heavens in a night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and back. This journey, called Isra, is considered to be one of the most significant events in the Islamic calendar.
Al Buraq is often described as an angelic, winged being with the head of a woman, the body of a mule, and the tail of a peacock. The idea of composite forms, featuring both human and animal motifs, appears from time to time, and were often pretexts to indulge the imagination.
Buraq Kondapalli (1850/1900) by unknownNational Museum - New Delhi
This is another depiction of Al Buraq, in toy form. Many such small wooden toys, made of punki wood and painted with vibrant colours, were made in Kondapalli, Andhra Pradesh, for decorative purposes during religious festivals.
It is believed that the production of these toys started at Kondapalli in 1362, when around 200 families migrated from Rajasthan and settled in Andhra. Though, this example dates to the late 19th Century. The tradition continues, and Kondapalli is still known for its toys.
