The arts of the Indus Valley Civilization include exceptional bronze sculptures, pottery, and figurines. These artifacts offer insight into the cultural and artistic richness of the civilization.

Art & Architecture of Indus valley

• Art Forms of the Indus Valley Civilisation
  • The Indus Valley Civilisation, dating back to the second half of the third millennium BCE, exhibited a rich array of art forms.
  • Artifacts discovered include:
    • Sculptures: Crafted with fine artistic sensibilities, showcasing vivid imagination.
    • Seals: Often depicting realistic human and animal figures with detailed anatomy.
    • Pottery: Known for its intricate designs and functional forms.
    • Jewellery: Reflecting advanced skills in metallurgy and ornamentation.
    • Terracotta Figures: Especially noted for the careful modelling of animal forms.

    

  • The art reflects the civilisation's realistic representation of human and animal anatomy, making their creations unique and detailed.
• Civic Planning in Indus Valley Cities
  • The Indus Valley Civilisation is recognized for its advanced urban planning, particularly in the cities of Harappa (north) and Mohenjodaro (south).
  • Key features of civic planning include:
    • Grid-like City Layout: Streets and structures were systematically arranged.
    • Infrastructure: Houses, markets, storage facilities, offices, and public baths were well-organized.
    • Drainage System: A highly developed system that reflects engineering expertise.
• Prominent Excavated Sites
  • Sites in Pakistan:
    • Harappa: Located in the northern region along the Indus River.
    • Mohenjodaro: Situated in the southern region, showcasing similar urban features.
  • Sites in India:
    • Lothal: Located in Gujarat, known for its dockyard and trade significance.
    • Dholavira: Also in Gujarat, noted for its water management systems.
    • Rakhigarhi: Situated in Haryana, one of the largest Indus Valley sites.
    • Ropar: Located in Punjab, revealing artefacts and burial sites.
    • Kalibangan: Found in Rajasthan, known for its fire altars and ploughed fields.

Stone Statues & Bronze Casting

• Stone Statues in the Indus Valley Civilisation
  • Stone statues discovered from Harappan sites are refined but not abundant, showcasing excellent craftsmanship in handling three-dimensional volumes.
  • Notable stone statues include:
    • Red Sandstone Male Torso: Found at Harappa, this torso reflects the skill of stone sculpting.
    • Bust of a Bearded Man: Made of soapstone, it is widely discussed for its detailed features.
  • Bust of a Bearded Man (Priest):
    • Draped in a shawl under the right arm and over the left shoulder, adorned with trefoil patterns.

    

    • Facial features include:
      • Half-closed, elongated eyes indicating meditative concentration.
      • Medium-sized nose and a small mouth with a close-cut moustache.
      • A short beard and whiskers, along with ears resembling double shells with a central hole.
    • Other details:
      • Hair parted in the middle and held with a plain woven fillet around the head.
      • Wears an armlet on the right arm and holes around the neck suggest a necklace.
• Bronze Casting in the Indus Valley Civilisation
  • The Harappans extensively practised bronze-casting using the ‘lost wax’ technique. This method involved:
    • Creating wax figures coated with clay and drying them.
    • Heating the clay to drain out molten wax, leaving a hollow mould.
    • Filling the mould with molten metal, which took the shape of the original object.
  • Bronze Artifacts:
    • Dancing Girl Statue: A renowned example of human figures in bronze, exuding grace and confidence.
    • Animal Figures:
      • Buffalo: Characterized by its uplifted head, arched back, and sweeping horns.
      • Goat: Showcasing intricate detailing and artistic finesse.
  • Other Bronze Examples:
    • Copper Dog and Bird: Found at Lothal, reflecting artistic expertise.
    • Bronze Bull: Discovered at Kalibangan, comparable in quality to human figures from Harappa and Mohenjodaro.
  • The tradition of metal-casting continued beyond the Harappan era:
    • Late Harappan Sites: Examples include Daimabad in Maharashtra, which yielded excellent metal-cast sculptures.
    • This tradition persists in parts of India even today, showcasing the enduring legacy of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

Terracotta & Seals

• Terracotta Art in the Indus Valley Civilisation
  • Terracotta Figures: While the Indus Valley people created terracotta images, these were less refined compared to their stone and bronze counterparts.

  

  • Key characteristics:
    • Crude Human Forms: The human representations in terracotta were often crude but appeared more realistic in sites like Gujarat and Kalibangan.

    

    • Mother Goddess Figurines: Representations of the mother goddess were among the most significant terracotta artifacts.

    

    • Bearded Male Figurines: Found in a rigidly upright posture with coiled hair, legs slightly apart, and arms parallel to the body, these figures were likely deities due to their repetitive depiction.
    • Horned Deity Mask: A terracotta mask of a deity with horns has also been discovered.
  • Other Terracotta Artifacts:
    • Toy Carts with Wheels: Reflecting their ingenuity and creativity.
    • Whistles, Rattles, and Discs: Used for entertainment and daily life.
    • Figurines of Birds and Animals: Showcasing their observational skills and artistic finesse.
• Seals in the Indus Valley Civilisation
  • Thousands of seals have been discovered, primarily made from steatite, along with agate, chert, copper, faience, and terracotta.
  • Key features of the seals:
    • Animal Motifs: Depictions include unicorn bulls, rhinoceroses, tigers, elephants, bison, goats, buffaloes, and occasionally mythical creatures

    

    

    • Realistic Animal Renderings: Animals are shown in various moods with remarkable realism.
    • Commercial and Amulet Use: Seals were likely used for trade and carried as personal amulets, similar to modern-day identity cards.
    • Pictographic Script: Every seal features an undeciphered pictographic script, adding to their mystery.
  • Pashupati Seal:
    • One of the most significant seals, depicting a human figure seated cross-legged.

    

    • Surrounding animals include:
      • An elephant and a tiger on the right side.
      • A rhinoceros and a buffalo on the left side.
      • Two antelopes depicted below the seat.
    • Scholars identify this seal as the Pashupati Seal or a female deity.
  • Copper Tablets:
    • Square or rectangular tablets featuring:
      • An animal or human figure on one side and inscriptions on the other.
      • Inscriptions associated with the animals portrayed, carefully engraved using a burin.
    • Copper tablets likely served as amulets.
  • Significant Sites: Most seals, including the remarkable Pashupati Seal, date back to 2500–1900 BCE and have been found in sites such as Mohenjodaro.

Pottery & Beads/ Ornaments

• Pottery of the Indus Valley Civilization
  • The pottery found at Indus Valley sites reveals the evolution of various design motifs in different shapes and styles.
  • Types of Pottery:
    • Wheel-made Pottery: The majority of the pottery is wheel-made, with only a few pieces being hand-made.
    • Plain Pottery: More common than painted pottery, generally made from red clay, with or without a fine red or grey slip.
    • Knobbed Ware: Plain pottery decorated with rows of knobs.
    • Black Painted Ware: Features a fine red slip, with geometric and animal designs painted in glossy black.
  • Polychrome and Incised Pottery:
    • Polychrome Pottery: Rare, primarily small vases decorated with geometric patterns in red, black, and green (occasionally white and yellow).
    • Incised Ware: Rare, with incised decorations found mainly on the bases of pans and offering stands.
  • Perforated Pottery: Pottery with large holes at the bottom and small holes on the sides, likely used for straining beverages.

  

  • Miniature Pottery: Small vessels, often less than half an inch in height, showcasing remarkable craftsmanship.

  

• Beads and Ornaments of the Indus Valley
  • Ornaments: The Harappan people adorned themselves with a variety of ornaments made from materials like precious metals, gemstones, bone, and baked clay.
  • Commonly Worn Items:
    • For Men and Women: Necklaces, fillets, armlets, and finger-rings.
    • For Women: Girdles, earrings, and anklets.
  • Jewelry Hoards: Excavations at Mohenjodaro and Lothal have revealed hoards of gold and semi-precious stone necklaces, copper bracelets, gold earrings, faience pendants, and beads made from steatite and gemstones.

  

  • Cemetery Findings: At the Farmana site in Haryana, bodies were found buried with their ornaments.
  • Bead Manufacturing: The bead industry was well-developed, with bead-making factories found at Chanhudaro and Lothal. Materials used for beads included carnelian, amethyst, jasper, crystal, quartz, steatite, turquoise, and lapis lazuli.
  • Bead Shapes: Beads came in various shapes, such as disc-shaped, cylindrical, spherical, barrel-shaped, and segmented. Some beads were made from two or more stones cemented together or decorated with gold covers.
  • Bead Decoration: Beads were often incised, painted, or etched with designs.
  • Animal Models: The Harappans also created naturalistic models of animals, such as monkeys and squirrels, used as pin-heads and beads.
• Textiles and Spinning
  • The spinning of cotton and wool was common, with spindle whorls made from faience, pottery, and shell found in many houses.
  • Clothing: Men and women wore two separate pieces of attire, similar to a dhoti and shawl, with the shawl covering the left shoulder and passing below the right shoulder.
• Fashion and Cosmetics
  • The Indus Valley people were conscious of fashion, with different hairstyles being popular and beards worn by many.
  • Cosmetics: Cinnabar was used as face paint, lipstick, and collyrium (eyeliner).
• Stone Construction and Craftsmanship
  • In addition to pottery and jewelry, the Indus Valley people displayed great skill in using stone for construction, as seen in the stone structures at Dholavira.
  • The artisans were skilled in metal casting, stone carving, pottery painting, and the creation of terracotta images using simplified animal, plant, and bird motifs.

Important art and artifacts of the period

• Dancing Girl
  • The Dancing Girl is a four-inch-high copper figure from Mohenjodaro, one of the most well-known artifacts of the Indus Valley.

  

  • The figure portrays a girl with her long hair tied in a bun, adorned with bangles on her left arm, a bracelet, and an amulet or bangle on her right arm.
  • She wears a cowry shell necklace around her neck.
  • The posture shows her right hand on her hip and left hand in a traditional Indian dance gesture.
  • The figure has large eyes, a flat nose, and displays expression and bodily vigour, conveying movement and life.
• Bull
  • This is a bronze figure of a bull found in Mohenjodaro. The figure emphasizes the massiveness and fury of the animal.

  

  • The bull is shown standing with its head turned to the right, and a cord is wrapped around its neck.
• Male Torso
  • This figure is made of red sandstone and represents a male torso with socket holes in the neck and shoulders to attach the head and arms.

  

  • The frontal posture of the torso is deliberate, with well-baked shoulders and a slightly prominent abdomen.
• Painted Earthen Jar
  • Found in Mohenjodaro, this jar is made using a potter's wheel from clay and is painted with black color after baking.

  

  • The shape was molded by the craftsman's fingers, and the jar was polished as a finishing touch.
  • The motifs on the jar are vegetal and geometric, with a tendency towards abstraction.
• Mother Goddess
  • The Mother Goddess figures from the Indus Valley are crude standing female statues adorned with necklaces hanging over prominent breasts.

  

  • They typically wear a loincloth and girdle and have a distinct fan-shaped head-dress with cup-like projections on each side.
  • The facial features of the figures are crude, with pellet eyes, a beaked nose, and a slit mouth.