Sculptural Art of India and Pre-History

Sculptural Art of India

• Pre-historic art of the world is included
• Sculptural art of the Indus Valley Civilization is discussed
• Ashutosh Sunil Patil, Asst. Professor of Archaeology at MGM University, Chh. Sambhajinagar, is the presenter

Pre-Historic Sculptural Art of the World

• Five important types/categories of Stone Age sculpture are:

  • Ultra-Primitive Humanoid Objects (c.230,000 - 700,000 BCE)
  • Primitive Reliefs (from 23,000 BCE onwards)
  • Venus Figurines (from 40,000 BCE onwards)
  • Carvings of Anthropomorphic Figures (from 30,000 BCE onwards)
  • Carvings of Animal Figures (from 33,000 BCE onwards)

• Oldest known Stone Age sculpture is the "Venus of Berekhat Ram" (230,000 - 700,000 BCE) found in the Golan Heights

• "Venus of Tan-Tan" discovered in Morocco (200,000 - 500,000 BCE)

• Venus figurines depict love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory.

• Primitive reliefs, such as the Venus of Laussel (c.23,000 BCE) from the Lascaux caves, are lightly colored with ochre, often found in ceremonial areas.

• Painting of a Bison (c.15,000 BCE) found in the Altamira Cave, Cantabria, Spain.

• Cave Painting in "Hall of the Bulls" at Lascaux (c.17,000 BCE).

Pre-Historic Sculptural Art - Anthropomorphic Figures

• Lion Man of Hohlenstein Stadel (38000 BC) is located in the caves of the Altmuhl valley in Germany and is among the oldest anthropomorphic animal carvings in the world.
• Shigir Idol (7500 BCE), an unearthed wood carving, is the oldest known wood carving in the world, found near Yekaterinburg (Russia).
• Fish God of Lepenski Vir (7000 BCE) is a therianthropic sculpture carved from round sandstone.
• Thinker of Cernavoda (5000 BCE) is a terracotta sculpture discovered in 1956.

Pre-Historic Sculptural Art - Animal Figures

• Swimming Reindeer(c.11,000 BCE), France is considered the oldest work of art in any British Museum.
• Kneeling Bull with Vessel(c.3000 BCE) is a Mesopotamian silver metalwork.
• Bull of Maikop(c.2500 BCE) is one of four gold and silver bulls from a Neolithic royal burial mound.

Sculptural Art of Indus valley civilization

• The arts of Indus Valley civilization emerged during the second half of the third millennium (Bronze Age).

• Forms of art include sculptures, seals, pottery, gold ornaments, and terracotta figures.

• Human and animal figures are depicted realistically.

• Important sites include Harappa (North) and Mohenjo-Daro (South).

• Extensive grid layouts and drainage systems were notable elements at city centers.

Stone Statues

• Stone statues found on Indus valley sites are fine examples of 3-Dimensional volume.
• Key statues include the Bearded Man (Priest Man, Priest-King) found in Mohenjo-Daro.

Bronze Casting

• Bronze casting was widely practiced. The lost wax technique was a common procedure.
• Human and animal figures (bull, goat and a dog) are present in the bronze castings.

Terracotta Figures

• Figures are quite realistic, often in Gujarat and Kalibangan.
• Similar postures are repeated which suggests deity depiction.

Seals

• Thousands of seals were discovered, typically made of steatite and sometimes agate, chert, copper, faience, and terracotta.
• Animal figures are a common theme.
• Seals were used for commercial purposes and likely as amulets.

Pottery

• Indus Valley pottery is generally made from fine wheel-made wares, with fewer handmade pieces.
• Plain pottery is quite common and is generally red clay, often with a thin red or grey 'slip' coating.
• Black painted ware features designs in a glossy black paint atop a red slip.

Beads, Ornaments and Cosmetics

• Harappans used a wide variety of ornaments and cosmetics.
• Materials included gemstones, metals, bone, and clay.
• Necklaces, fillets, armlets, and finger rings were common.
• Ornaments also included earrings, head ornaments, and numerous bracelets.
• The Harappans had detailed beadwork and created figurines of animals such as monkeys and squirrels.