An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c22.s2.10

v1.c22.s2.10

In the early centuries of the Christian era, with the flourishing of the Indo-Roman trade and the urbanization of the s. regions, we get hollow terracottas and kaolin figurines produced out of two moulds at PAITHAN, TER, BHOKARDAN, NEVASA, KOLHAPUR, KONDĀPUR, YELLESWARAM, NAGARJUNAKONDA, etc. The technique seems to have been borrowed from the Romans [8.1]. The themes include meticulously groomed male and female figures holding a bird and fruit. They represent a distinct ethnic type with a snub nose, thick lips, broad face and squat physiognomy. Some figurines represent Romans. A warrior with a Scythian helmet decorates a hanging lamp from TER. Plaques representing a headless nude goddess [12.6] of the personified *yoni* type sitting with legs raised (*uttāna-pāda*) have been found at several sites in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat as well as in some n. sites in the Yamuna valley.