The Role of Clay Art in Preserving India's Intangible Adivasi Heritage
Written by Haidamteu Zeme N
“For Dust you are, and to Dust you shall return.”
Genesis 3:19, Old Testament, Bible.
Our previous article on the Khumars (“potters”) of Molela village, Rajasthan highlighted the significance of patronage from the Bhil, Mina, and Garasiya tribal communities of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. This unique relationship, which blends art, deity worship, ritual, and mutual respect, is particularly fascinating to explore for two reasons:
1. It has enabled the potter caste to preserve their tradition dating back to the Indus civilization!
2. The evocative spiritual significance that the clay tradition holds for its practitioners.
For instance, in the town of Poshina within the Sabarkantha district of Gujarat, numerous adivasi shrines hold over 100-2000 votive terracotta horses. Sombre, tall, and neatly arranged in rows, these clay horses with “O” shaped mouths collectively present an auspicious image to passer-byes. With pointed ears and intricate patterns on their bodies, the terracotta figurines stand silently still like an army ready to battle, so to say. Though this imagery might seem exaggerated to readers unsure of its symbolism, these reddish-hued horses actually represent a community’s everyday realities. Each horse is undoubtedly an expression of desire. Whether it be a desire to give birth, a desire to be healed, a desire to be wealthy, to be blessed, to increase livestock, to send rains, good crops etc., the statues are stand-ins for peoples’ vows.