History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c15.s2.3

v1.c15.s2.3

There are certain forms of the Harappan pottery which can be taken as fossil shapes (Fig.2). Among these are the goblets sometimes stamped with inscriptions, dish-on-stand, ‘S’ shaped vases, beakers, perforated cylindrical jars, storage jars with heavily beaded rims and so on. Of these the goblet, the beaker and the perforated jar are usually plain whereas the others are mostly treated with a thick bright red slip over which are found painted designs in black pigment. The design repertoire is quite rich consisting as it does of both naturalistic and geometric motifs. The most distinguishing are the intersecting circles, the overlapping scales, the pipal leaf etc. Bull, peacock and fish are also present. Besides these, narrative scenes are also sometimes met with. Bichrome and polychrome pottery too occurs at some of the Harappan sites, but is extremely rare (vide Starr & Manchanda).