India the country of unity and diversity. It has varied communities with backgrounds with rituals that date back ages. In all these rituals, largely religious, have always known to have used clay lamps and other utensils. All the Hindu festivals have the presence of a clay lamp. Clay lamp is one of the best examples of pottery and its age old use in India.
It is found by historians that the harappan age was the sart of ceramic culture in India. There are also traces of smart pottery in Indus Valley Civilization.
The excavations in various regions of India have found clay toys and utensils. This is an ample proof that pottery and ceramic works existed around 5000 years ago. Even terracotta had been used in these ages.
Northern Black Polished ware is one of the oldest form of pottery found in India. It found great base during the iron age of India, the Mauryan Dynasty rule. This phase lasted from 700 BC to 100 BC or maybe even later. The attractive strikingly lustrous surface of the polished pottery ware was use in a number of ways from decoration to utensils in house hold use.
In around 1500 BC, potteries existed in Bengal where the Geological distinction permitted quality alluvial deposits that is ideal for ceramic development.
The famous Bankura Horse fashioned out of terracotta was developed in Bankaru District of West Bengal. The Panchmaru artisans produce these horses and the long necked Panchmura Horse can be found in a number of palaces all along the eastern Indian kingdoms. There are a number of terracotta temples in West Bengal as well.
In Bengal, black and red pottery flourished from 1500 BC to the 3rd century BC, well past Chalcolithic age.
Historians believe that between 2nd Century BC and 1st Century BC, rouletted ware was a rage. With thick protective rims, symmetrical shapes and big base, they were ideal for storage. With circular decoration, shiny surface and decorations on the exterior surface, these ware became a useful tool in every household in the period. These ware are found in remnants near Arikmedu near Pondicherry in South India. It is believed that the rouletted pottery was imported from Mediterranean region but there were imitations developed in India. They are found along the ganges settlements as well as in Bengal.
Certain technologies and products made their way to India from foreign soils. Chinese pottery development made their way through trade to the country. Blue Pottery, one of the opaque glazing technologies developed as a mix of Persia and China is an adopted technique which has impressions in India ceramic scenario.
Around the 14th century India was invaded by a number of kings. Islamic invasions gave a transfer of Islamic Ceramic development in India. There are so many historical sites in India where the signs of Islamic Pottery and Islamic tiles are seen. The Mughal empire which had a very strong hold in India. This period also saw a very sharp rise in cross country trade and knowledge transfer. Ceramic industry being the oldest across the world, there is no surprise to know that from different parts of the world ceramic techniques moved in India.
By the 17th Century, Blue Pottery was accepted in Jaipur and the kingdoms loved the technique and promoted it to heights. The palaces and Havelis of Rajasthan still boast of a lot of these ceramics traditions reflecting on the walls and canopies.
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