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Terracotta in Gupta Empire
Terracotta in the Gupta Era encountered a new value of expression whilst assigning the true sense of introspection.

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The Gupta period has been depicted as "one of cultured opulence resulting in an outpouring of science, visual art, music, and literature". A break from the traditional aspect of architecture was witnessed in this era and perhaps is the reason why "terracotta" as the medium of architecture and sculpture gained importance.

Terracottas are the other form of important branch of the Gupta art. In this modest medium, gifted clay-modellers created things of real beauty and achieved a wide popular basis for their art. Clay figurines served as poor man`s sculpture and contributed largely to popularize art and culture.

The terracotta figures may be classified under two heads, gods and goddesses, and the second one is male and female figures.

Gods and Goddesses: Most of the Hindu deities are represented in the terracotta of the age. As for example the figures of Vishnu, Kartikeya, Surya, Durga, Ganga and Yamuna have been found all over the Gangetic plain. Some of these as those of Ganga and Yamuna from the terraced brick temple at Ahichchhatra, are almost life-size. Their baking must have presented a difficult technical problem, tackled with success by the expert potters of the age.

Male and female figures: The group of detached male and female figures shows a great variety of forms, including representation of aristocratic men and women, figures of foreigners from Persia and Central Asia and ordinary figures of attendants of all classes as grooms and elephant riders, jesters and dwarfs, etc.

Some of the group of heads made of fine, well-baked clay originally belongs to smaller plaques that were completely pressed out of moulds. The faces, combining elegance of features with gorgeous coiffure, constitute a veritable gallery for the study of beautiful types in that art inspired age. The terracotta figurines from the recent excavations at Rajghat and Ahichchhatra present a feast of beauty to the eye and best female heads. These are skillfully finished and very remarkable in look. Firstly, for the pleasing variety of coiffure, and secondly, for paintings in lines and colours still preserved in some of them. The colours usually used were red pink, yellow and white.

Finally, it may be observed that much of the terracotta work in imbued with the spirit of true art prevailing at the time.


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