Seals, Pottery, Beads and Ornaments

The Indus valley civilization emerged during the second half of the third part of BCE. The artisans of that time had extraordinary sensibilities. The artists of that time had delicate artistic sensibilities. Their way of depicting and portraying human and animal sculptures and figures was highly unique.

The arts and stone statues found in the Indus Valley civilization are one of the most unique and earliest forms of civilizations that existed in the world. It is said to be emerging during the Bronze Age. These forms of art and sculptures are found and excavated from various civilization sites, including sculptures, pottery, seals, gold, terracotta figures, ornaments, and much more. This delineation of various human figures and stone statues made by the artisans of that time was done carefully in Indus valley civilization sites.

The important sites of the Indus valley civilization are the Harappa and the Mohenjo-Daro. These sites are evidence of one of the earliest planning of society and civilization. The houses, storage facilities, and markets were developed in a grid. The roads of the Indus valley civilization were made by carving a 90-degree-angle cut. The cities in the Indus valley civilization were. Also also divided into various blocks. The Indus valley civilization sites also had a proper drainage system.

Information and events about such age are evaluated from excavations that reveal habitat, pottery, paintings of such era. Paintings and drawings were the elderly form artistic expressions expressed by humans. The reasons behind such drawings and paintings are to decorate their homes or to keep a journal of their life events for people to know in the upcoming era.

Seals:

• The seals were elegant figures of various animals. These animals included unicorn bison, goat, bull, tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, and much more. These figures are depicted very carefully on the seals. The figures are usually made with steatite. The figures are sometimes made of chert, copper, terracotta, ivory, and agate
• The primary purpose behind the production of seals was to use them commercially. These figures were also called the amulets. Every seal during that time was engraved in the form of a pictographic script. This script is yet to be understood and deciphered
• The famous Pashupati seal is known for its unique features. It depicts the figure of a human. This human is considered a female deity. The female is believed to be seated in a cross-legged position. The image of a tiger and elephant is also depicted on the right side of the deity figure. A buffalo and rhinoceros can also be seen in the figure. Apart from these images, we can also see a pair of antelopes on the seat
• The tablets of copper were also used as amulets at this time. The amulets contain a human figure along with an inscription on both sides

Pottery

The Indus Valley pottery consists chiefly of fine wheel-made wares, with very few being hand-made.

The Indus valley civilization also had inscriptions of wheels made of wares. A few of them were hand-made also. This type of pottery was also made of red clay. It included a fine or red slip. One example of this is the black painted ware. It had the coating of a red slip. It also had geometric and animal figures on it. The painted Earthen Jar was first found in Mohenjodaro.

• Polychrome pottery: This type of polychrome pottery is less found in nature
• It mainly contains small-sized vases decorated with geometric patterns in yellow, black, and red colours 
• Incised ware: It is also rarely found, and the incised decoration was bound to the bases of the pans
• Perforated pottery involves a huge hole at the bottom and small holes around the wall, and it was mainly used for straining beverages 

Beads and Ornaments

A well-developed bead industry. Beads and ornaments can be found in the factories of Chanhudaro and Lothal.

Necklaces, finger-rings, fillets, and armlets were frequently worn.

Women wore anklets and earrings.

Material used:

Beads were commonly made of amethyst, jasper, carnelian, crystal, steatite, turquoise, quartz,  lapis lazuli, etc.

Unique Metals like copper, shell, bronze and gold, faience, and terracotta were also used in the beads.

Shapes of beads – Disc-shaped, spherical, barrel-shaped, cylindrical, and segmented.

Painted Earthen Jar

• The earthen jar is specifically made with the help of a potter’s wheel along with some clay
• The shape of the earthen jar was also changed and manipulated due to the pressure of the artisan’s fingers during the caving
• After properly baking the clay earthen jar model, it got some paint and shades in black colour. We can also notice a high standard of polish and an excellent finishing touch given to the earthen jar

The Indus valley civilization paintings do not seem to lack any quality even though several limitations have been. These limitations such as the inadequacy of tools, working conditions, etc.

These Paintings had a place for everyone, women and men, young and old, dancers and hunters. The art in the Indus valley civilization revolves around everything and everyone they experienced in their daily lives. The paintings engraved on the ceilings are regarded as of religious importance for the people who lived in the Indus valley civilization.

Conclusion

The Indus Valley Civilisation came up during the second half of the third BCE. Archaeologists have uncovered thousands of seals, most of which are made of steatite, although some are made of agate, chert, or copper. These contained stunning animal models such as a unicorn bull, rhinoceros, tiger, and elephant. The primary reason for creating seals was for business purposes. A considerable amount of pottery discovered from the sites allows us to comprehend the progressive growth of diverse design motifs as used in varied forms and styles. Harappan men and women adorned themselves with a wide range of jewellery made from every imaginable material, including precious metals and jewels, bone, and baked clay.