An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c16.s10: 11.10 Malwa Ware
An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c16.s10
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11.10 Malwa Ware
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The Malwa Ware is a Chalcolithic [4.14.5] black-painted red pottery of the Malwa plateau where it was first identified in the early fifties, the best known site being NAVDATOLI. Excavations at NAGDA, ERAN and KAYATHA—all in Madhya Pradesh—and BAHAL, DAIMABAD, CHANDOLI, SONGAON and INAMGAON—all in Maharashtra—and explorations in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have made it amply clear that the main concentration of this ware is in regions extending from the Chambal valley in the n. to the Bhima valley in the s. through the c. Narmada, the c. Tapti and the upper Godavari basins.
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Except for that from ERAN, which is of a fine sturdy fabric, the Malwa Ware from the sites both in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra is generally of medium to coarse fabric. Made on a slow wheel, it is treated on the outside with a slip which has turned red, orange, pink and yellow in colour and their pleasing shades. The painted designs in black include: horizontal bands; cross-hatched design; solid opposed triangles; wavy lines; loops; sun motif; representations of plants and the peacock, scorpion, dog, deer, fish and duck; and occasionally human figures. The most favourite animal motif at DAIMABAD is the dog, in one example a pair being shown in the united posture. In the recent excavation at this site potters’ marks painted in black and graffiti [20.1] have been found for the first time. The painted marks include: the ladder pattern; plant design; solid dots; groups of three lines; inverted V; star with solid dot at the end of each stroke; arrow; and pairs of intersecting lines. The ladder pattern, cross and arrow from the graffiti.
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Among the interesting types from NAVDATOLI are the footed goblet and channel-spouted bowl which, according to Sankalia, shows Iranian contacts. A wide range of types occur in this ware at Daimabad. They include: the *hāṇḍī* type vase with tubular spout and funnel-shaped mouth; carinated bowl; bowl with squat body; vase with high narrow neck and beaded rim; vase with corrugated neck; vase with globular body and, narrow vertical neck; dish-on-stand; and vase with tubular spout and incurved sides.
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¹⁴C dates place this ware between 1600 and 1200 B.C. although at ERAN it lingered on till 1000 B.C. The evidence from DAIMABAD suggests that the ware transformed into the Jorwe Ware [11.11].
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For sites see respective entries in vol. II.—S.A. SALI