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Indian & South Asian Ceramics & Pottery

India and South Asia have a rich and storied tradition of producing top-quality pottery, dating back millennia to at least 5500 B.C. During the Mehrgarh Period III (4800-3500 B.C.), the Indus Valley civilization gave momentum to Indian ceramics as a fully realized art form. Potters in this period were often nomadic craftsmen who traveled from village to village selling their wares. After locating suitable clay to fabricate their handicrafts, these early artisans would erect temporary kilns and produce cooking pots, bowls, and vessels on the outskirts of settlements.

Over the next several thousand years, the tradition of pottery expanded to all parts of India with distinctive styles emerging in each region. Around the 12th century, Arab settlers introduced glazed pottery to India as well as Mogul leitmotifs that continue to adorn various works of Indian pottery today.

These practices spread throughout South Asia during the next several millennia, developing characteristics reflective of the culture of each locale. Today, the tradition of Indian ceramics lives on as villages throughout India and South Asia often have a resident potter known as a Khumbar.


Quick Facts

  • Delhi and Jaipur are renowned for their blue pottery made from ceramic instead of clay. They are traditionally adorned with shards of crushed glass before they are fired in the kiln
  • Tamil Nadu is renowned for its monumental terracotta statues that depict the deity Aiyanar. These statues are placed at the entrances of villages to protect the residents from the infiltration of evil spirits
  • The advent of the potter’s wheel by the Indus Valley civilization allowed for a variety of new shapes and forms including the elongated necks of clay vases. This had previously been impossible to achieve

Recommended Items at Auction

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INDUS VALLEY POTTERY VASE WITH PAINTED DECORATION
Feb 22, 1:00 PM GMT
INDUS VALLEY POTTERY VASE WITH PAINTED DECORATION
by Apollo Art Auctions
Est: £80- £120
£201 Bid
Indus Valley Terracotta Vessel with Birds and Geometric Designs
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Indus Valley Terracotta Vessel with Birds and Geometric Designs
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £1,200- £1,700
£1,0000 Bids
Indus Valley Terracotta Vessel with Geometric Designs
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Indus Valley Terracotta Vessel with Geometric Designs
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £400- £600
£3600 Bids
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Vessel with Animals
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Vessel with Animals
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £50- £70
£50 Bids
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Bowl
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Bowl
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £100- £140
£900 Bids
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Bowl
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Bowl
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £100- £140
£900 Bids
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Vessel with Zebu
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Vessel with Zebu
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £50- £70
£50 Bids
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Vessel with Animals
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Vessel with Animals
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £50- £70
£50 Bids
Chandraketugarh Ceramic Vessel with Seated Gods
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Chandraketugarh Ceramic Vessel with Seated Gods
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £500- £700
£4400 Bids
Chandraketugarh Ceramic Vessel with Seated Gods
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Chandraketugarh Ceramic Vessel with Seated Gods
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £500- £700
£4400 Bids
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INDUS VALLEY POTTERY CUP WITH PAINTED DECORATION
Feb 22, 1:00 PM GMT
INDUS VALLEY POTTERY CUP WITH PAINTED DECORATION
by Apollo Art Auctions
Est: £100- £150
£200 Bids
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INDUS VALLEY POTTERY VASE WITH PAINTED DECORATION
Feb 22, 1:00 PM GMT
INDUS VALLEY POTTERY VASE WITH PAINTED DECORATION
by Apollo Art Auctions
Est: £80- £120
£200 Bids
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INDUS VALLEY POTTERY VESSEL WITH PAINTED DECORATION
Feb 22, 1:00 PM GMT
INDUS VALLEY POTTERY VESSEL WITH PAINTED DECORATION
by Apollo Art Auctions
Est: £80- £120
£200 Bids
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INDUS VALLEY POTTERY VASE WITH PAINTED DECORATION
Feb 22, 1:00 PM GMT
INDUS VALLEY POTTERY VASE WITH PAINTED DECORATION
by Apollo Art Auctions
Est: £80- £120
£200 Bids
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INDUS VALLEY POTTERY BOWL WITH PAINTED DECORATION
Feb 22, 1:00 PM GMT
INDUS VALLEY POTTERY BOWL WITH PAINTED DECORATION
by Apollo Art Auctions
Est: £70- £100
£100 Bids
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INDUS VALLEY POTTERY VESSEL
Feb 22, 1:00 PM GMT
INDUS VALLEY POTTERY VESSEL
by Apollo Art Auctions
Est: £80- £120
£200 Bids
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INDUS VALLEY POTTERY BOWL WITH PAINTED DECORATION
Feb 22, 1:00 PM GMT
INDUS VALLEY POTTERY BOWL WITH PAINTED DECORATION
by Apollo Art Auctions
Est: £80- £120
£200 Bids
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INDUS VALLEY PAINTED POTTERY VESSEL WITH ANIMALS
Feb 22, 1:00 PM GMT
INDUS VALLEY PAINTED POTTERY VESSEL WITH ANIMALS
by Apollo Art Auctions
Est: £80- £120
£200 Bids
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INDUS VALLEY POLYCHROME POTTERY VESSEL WITH ANIMALS
Feb 22, 1:00 PM GMT
INDUS VALLEY POLYCHROME POTTERY VESSEL WITH ANIMALS
by Apollo Art Auctions
Est: £80- £120
£500 Bids
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GROUP OF INDUS VALLEY POTTERY VESSELS
Feb 22, 1:00 PM GMT
GROUP OF INDUS VALLEY POTTERY VESSELS
by Apollo Art Auctions
Est: £100- £150
£500 Bids
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GROUP OF THREE INDUS VALLEY POTTERY BOWLS WITH PAINTED DECORATIONS
Feb 22, 1:00 PM GMT
GROUP OF THREE INDUS VALLEY POTTERY BOWLS WITH PAINTED DECORATIONS
by Apollo Art Auctions
Est: £80- £120
£300 Bids
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Vessel with Fishes
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Vessel with Fishes
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £50- £70
£50 Bids
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Bowl
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Bowl
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £100- £140
£900 Bids
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Dish with Bird
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Indus Valley Painted Terracotta Dish with Bird
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £50- £70
£50 Bids

Sellers Who Sell Indian & South Asian Ceramics & Pottery


TimeLine Auctions

TimeLine Auctions

Apollo Art Auctions

Apollo Art Auctions