An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c16.s9.1

v1.c16.s9.1

First identified in a stratigraphic (post-Harappa) context at RANGPUR, Dt Surendranagar, the ware has a wide distribution in Kathiawad (Rao, 1962 and 63, pp. 205-7) and occurs in limited quantities at the Chalcolithic sites of c. India and the upper Deccan [4.14.5-6]. It carries a thin slip of finely levigated red ochre which is burnished to produce a glittering effect. The burnishing, i.e. wet-smoothening, was done when the vessel was leather-hard with pebbles of haematite which left a powder of iron oxide sticking to the surface. The colour varies from deep red to light red. The deep bowl with flaring rim, concave high sides and carinated shoulder is the most popular type. The outer surface is painted in deep black with animal figures, mainly the deer, and chevrons, intersecting loops, simple oblique lines and cross-hatched lozenges. In the absence of any coalescence with the surface the painting appears to have been executed after firing. The other main types are: the bulbous jar with beaked rim and high bottle-neck; the dish with beaded grooved or splayed-out rim and cordoned shoulder; and the bowl with splayed-out rim and concavo-convex profile. Occurring in Periods II C and III of RANGPUR the ware has been dated between 1100 and 800 B.C.