ART OF INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION (2500 B.C – 1500 B.
C)
1. Introduction
Discovered by Charles Masson in 1842 (ruins of Harappa).
First seal published by Sir Alexander Cunningham (1856).
Later excavations revealed more sites.
Also called Harappan Civilization (Bronze Age culture).
2. Location & Famous Sites
Flourished on banks of River Indus and its tributaries.
Two main cities: Harappa (Punjab, Pakistan) & Mohenjodaro (Sindh, Pakistan,
"Mound of Dead").
Indian sites:
o Ropar (Punjab)
o Lothal (Gujarat)
o Kalibangan (Rajasthan)
o Rangpur (Gujarat)
o Alamgirpur (UP)
o Banawali (Haryana)
o Dholavira (Gujarat, Kutch)
3. Founders of Civilization (Racial Composition)
Archaeological remains suggest:
Dravidians – similar to South Indians & Sri Lankans.
Equatorial Race (Aryan features) – high forehead.
Mongolians – short, long head, pointed nose, beard but no moustache.
Tribes & Nomads – also contributed.
4. Artistic Traces
Urban planning: houses, drainage, public baths, streets.
Terracotta figures (Mother Goddess, toys, birds).
Sculptures – realistic & stylized.
Pottery – decorated with gods, animals, women, geometrical motifs, black ink
designs (circles, leaves, flowers).
Seals – engraved with animals, divine figures, pictographic script.
Ornaments – gold, silver (bangles, earrings, nose pins).
Toys – clay carts, animal figures (jumping monkey).
Beauty culture – combs, hairpins, clips, various hairstyles.
Costume – men wore printed shawls (example: Priest King).
5. Bronze Casting
Mastered lost wax technique (cire perdue).
Wax → clay mould → molten metal poured → clay removed → bronze figure.
This method later influenced Chola Bronzes.
6. Important Artworks
1. Mother Goddess
Medium: Terracotta (Baked Clay)
Period: c. 2500 BCE
Location: Mohenjo-daro
Size: 22 × 8 × 5 cm
Collection: National Museum, New Delhi
Theme/Subject: Fertility goddess idol
Description:
Best preserved, large-sized terracotta image of Mother Goddess.
Hairdo: Broad, pan-like attachments on both sides of head.
Nose: Pinched; ornaments flatly pressed on body.
Costume: Loincloth with girdle; small breasts uncovered.
Eyes: Made of small pellets (balls) of clay.
Style: Folk art effect, simple yet expressive.
Function: Worshipped as goddess of fertility & prosperity.
Importance: Proto-type of early goddess idols; reflects agrarian society worshipping
fertility.
2. Dancing Girl
Medium: Bronze (Lost Wax Technique)
Period: c. 2500 BCE
Location: Mohenjo-daro
Size: 10.5 × 5 × 2.5 cm (approx. 4.1 inches)
Collection: National Museum, New Delhi
Theme/Subject: Female dancer figure
Description:
Small bronze statuette, only 4 inches high, yet world-famous.
Pose: Tribhanga (three bends), relaxed after dance.
Right hand on hip; left arm (covered with bangles) resting on leg.
Hair: Tightened with ribbon, falling on shoulder.
Eyes: Half-closed; face with thick lips & nose (Negroid features).
Jewelry: Cowry shell necklace; many bangles.
Limbs slightly disproportionate (stylization).
Importance: Shows mastery of bronze casting and lively spirit of Indus people.
Symbolism: Female figures linked to fertility & feminine power.
3. Male Torso
Medium: Red Limestone
Period: c. 2500 BCE
Location: Harappa
Size: 9.2 × 5.8 × 3 cm
Collection: National Museum, New Delhi
Theme/Subject: Realistic male body study
Description:
Fine example of stone carving & 3D modeling.
Body: Muscular, robust, realistic details.
Chest & belly shaped naturally, suggesting prana (breath).
Back: Rounded shoulders & hips, with spinal line visible.
Technical features: Hole in neck (head attachment), drill circles on shoulders
(unexplained).
Missing: Arms & legs broken.
Resemblance: Pose similar to later images of Lord Shiva (Nataraja).
Importance: Shows advanced knowledge of human anatomy and symbolism.
4. Bull Seal (Zebu / Humped Bull)
Medium: Steatite (soft white stone)
Period: c. 2500 BCE
Location: Mohenjo-daro
Size: 2.5 × 2.5 × 1.4 cm
Collection: National Museum, New Delhi
Theme/Subject: Animal study (humped bull), pictographic script
Description:
Square seal carved in low relief.
Depicts strong humped bull with curved horns and realistic skin folds.
Script: Pictographic symbols engraved above.
Function: Used as seals for trade, identity, or amulets.
Symbolism: Bull connected with fertility, power, lunar worship.
Link: Considered prototype of Shiva’s bull Nandi.
Importance: Reflects commercial, religious, and artistic significance of Indus seals.
7. Key Features of Indus Valley Art
Materials used: Terracotta, stone, bronze, steatite.
Techniques: Lost wax method (bronze), carving, molding.
Themes: Fertility, animals, human figures, trade seals.
Style: Mix of realism (Male Torso, Bull Seal) & stylization (Mother Goddess, Dancing
Girl).
Purpose: Worship (fertility idols), trade (seals), artistic expression.
