An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s18.t1.9

v1.c9.s18.t1.9

The art of making terracotta was also quite flourishing. Many of these could have been toys, but some were certainly of religious significance. The art in the period shows a steady evolution. Hand-moulded pieces with pinched nose, incised mouth and eyes, stumpy and incomplete arms and legs developed into beautifully moulded figurines of dancing girls and of graceful women with a variety of head-dresses and ear ornaments. Towards the end of the NBPW phase terracotta plaques, mostly of female figures or of *mithunas* became popular. A few plaques from CAMPĀ [as elsewhere from the upper and lower Ganga valley] have weapons arrayed on the top, the figurines thus probably representing a *śakti*. Winged female figurines from VAIŚĀLĪ and one from CAMPĀ having w. Asian head-dress suggest w. contacts. Animal figurines and toy ram-carts with wheels (one tortoise-shell cart from CAMPĀ) show the skill and artistry of the toy-maker. Conventionalized terracotta figurines of snake [17], abundantly found throughout this period, attest to an early *nāga* cult particularly prevalent in Bihar, as it is even today.