Art of Indus Valley Civilization

Sculptures, seals, ceramics, jewellery made from gold, terracotta figurines, and various types of art were discovered in different civilizations.  Their renderings of human and animal forms were very lifelike.  The modelling of figures was done with utmost care.  Along the Indus River, there are two significant Indus Valley civilisation sites: “Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in the north” and “Mohenjo-Daro in the south”.  The instances of municipal planning may be seen on the site.  Grid-like arrangement of houses, markets, storage facilities, offices, and other structures.  Moreover, roads were cut through one another at an angle of 90-degree in this layout, as well as the city being split into blocks.  Again, a well-developed drainage system has also been present.

The following are the Indus Valley artworks that are discovered thus far:

Art and architecture of Indus valley civilization

Stone Statues:

The manipulation of the 3D volume may be seen in stone figures discovered in Indus valley sites.

Priest King Deity

  • Mohenjo-Daro is where you’ll find it.
  • Steatite figure of a bearded guy.
  • The guy is dressed as a priest, with a shawl wrapped over his shoulders.
  • Covering the left shoulder from under the right arm.
  • The shawl has a trefoil design on it.
  • As in contemplative concentration, the eyes are extended and partially closed.
  • A fillet which is woven is carried around the head once the hair is separated in the centre.
  • Overall, there is a hint of the Greek style in the sculptures.

Bronze Casting:

Bronze casting was conducted on a large scale in practically all of the civilization’s main sites. Bronze casting was done using the “Lost Wax Technique”.

The Bronze casting includes both human and animal representations.

Examples of Bronze casting are:

Dancing Girl

  • Most well-known Indus Valley artefacts.
  • Figure of a dancing girl that stands about 4-inches tall.
  • A female with long hair in a bun as well as bangles on her left arm.
  • Her neck is adorned with a cowry shell necklace.
  • Her eyes are huge, and her nose is flat.

Terracotta:

In Gujarat and Kalibangan, terracotta statues are more lifelike. Moreover, a clay mask of a horned god has been discovered. Mother Goddess figurines are the most significant clay figures.

Mother Goddess

  • Rudimentary standing figurines.
  • Wearing a loin robe and a girdle, she is adorned with jewellery dangling from her large breast. 
  • The figure’s pellet eyes and beaked snout are exceedingly primitive.
  • A tiny hole indicates the mouth.

Seals

Thousands of seals have been found in many areas, most of which were composed of steatite, rather also contains agate, chert, terracotta, copper, and faience, which included exquisite depictions of unicorn bulls, tiger, bison, buffalo, elephant, and other animals.

Seals of Pasupathi Mahadeva

  • A cross-legged human figure is shown on the seal.
  • On the right side of the sculpture, an elephant and a tiger are shown, while on the left side, a lion is depicted
  • A buffalo and a rhinoceros may be seen on the left.
  • Below the seat are two antelopes.
  • The head bears 3 horns.

Indus valley civilization art of pottery

  • The pottery of the Indus Valley is mostly manufactured on the wheel, with just a few exceptions.
  • Painted ceramics are less prevalent than plain pottery. 

Painted Earthen Jar

  • Mohenjo-Daro is where you’ll find it.
  • Made with clay on a potter’s wheel.
  • Pressure used by the potter’s left fingers altered the form.
  • Black colour was applied to a clay model after it had been baked.
  • As a final touch, high polishing was applied.
  • Motifs include geometric and vegetal motifs.

Cosmetics, Beads, and Ornaments:

Harappan women and men adorned themselves with a wide range of decorations made of imaginable material, including precious metals, jewels, bone, and baked clay.

  • At Farmona in Harappa, a cemetery was discovered where deceased people were buried with jewellery.
  • ChanhuDaro and Lothal both have well-developed bead factories.
  • Some beads were produced by cementing two or more stones together.
  • Animal figures, particularly monkeys and squirrels, were also created and utilised as pinheads.
  • Cotton, as well as wool spinning, were quite popular.
  • Male and female wore different outfits that looked like a dhoti and shawl.
  • Shawl went below right arm and covered left shoulder.
  • They were fashion-conscious.

· Cinnabar was used as a cosmetic and was familiar with collyrium (eyeliner), face paint, and lipstick.

Conclusion

The Indus Valley civilization shows significant interest in art, architecture, and pottery. Stone, bronze, terracotta, clay, and other materials were employed. Moreover, various figures, seals, ornaments, and many more items have been excavated in the Indus valley that represents its civilisation.