3 Review(s)

Down through the ages, clay has been the perfect medium for Indian creativity. Its myriad shapes and styles range from the miniscule to the gigantic, from realistic to abstract, from pure practical to utterly fantastic. India\'s one million potters - more than in any other country-make items for every conceivable household use. But they also sculpt images used in religious ceremonies, the most spectacular of which are magnificent horses and elephants nearly six metres tall, the largest terracottas ever created ! Thus the potter plays a dual role, as craftsperson and as a link to the gods. In a text sumptuously illustrated in colour, the ethnologist, author and photographer Stephen Huyler surveys this exciting craft, studied over 20 years of extensive travel. About the Author Stephen P. Huyler is an American ethnologist, writer and photographer conducting a cross cultural survey of Indian folk art. During each of the past twenty-three years, he has spent several months travelling extensively throughout India, documenting craftsmanship and contemporary traditions. Beginning with a research project on the terracottas of Tamilnadu in 1971, he has continued to document clay sculpture and its production and use in rural communities, particularly in ritual worship. With degrees in Indian history and art history from the University of Denver, he prepared his Ph.D. thesis at the University of London\'s School of Oriental and African Studies. His doctoral topic was a survey of rural India terracottas, focusing on contemporary traditions as a means for understanding their ancient counterparts. Dr. Huyler returned to - America to write his first book, Village India (Abrams, 1985). He served as a consultant for two exhibitions during the Festival of India in the United States in 1986: The Brooklyn Museum\'s \"From Indian Earth: Five Thousand Years of Terracotta Art\", and Mingei International Museum of World Folk Art\'s \"Form and Forms of Mother Earth: Contemporary Indian Terracottas\". His second book, Painted Prayers: Women’s Art in Village India (Riazoli 1994) documents the phenomenal decoration of mud architecture in India. He is currently curating an exhibition on personal devotion in India for the Smithsonian Institution. When not conducting field research in India, Dr. Huyler lives with his wife, Helene, in Camden, Maine, U.S.A. Table of Contents Foreword Preface Prologue - Mitti: Mud, Sacred and Mundane Kurnbhara: Makers of Pots Indian Potters: Social Structure, Living Conditions, Production Techniques, and Merchandising Prajapati: Potters Descended from a God Indian Potters and Pots: Sacred and Ritual Roles Puja: Terracottas Used in Worship Hinduism and Gift-giving: Temple, Shrine and Household Mitti Ke Dan: Gifts of Earth Votive Terracottas: Examples from Twelve Indian States Tamil Nadu: Guardians of Boundaries Case Study: Production and Use of Terracotta Horses given to the God Ayyanar Uttar Pradesh: Gifts of Elephants Case Study: Production and Use of Terracotta Elephants Given to Goddess Kali-ma Orissa: Temples for Tulasi Case Study: Production and Use of Terracotta Planters for Sacred Herbs to Honour the Goddess Tulasi Footnotes Bibliography Glossary