Charisma of Terracotta Figurines from Gandhara

An Analytical Study from the 4th century BCE to the 3rd century CE

Abstract

According to DH Gordon, "Terracottas formed the sculpture, sacred or profane, of the ordinary household" (Gordon 1944: 5). It is also called as the poor man's art because clay, from which this art has originated, is one of the cheapest but useful gifts of God to mankind. CL Fabri, a one-time Curator of the Lahore Museum, further elaborated Gordon's idea. Usually made by potters rather than artists, the terracottas (I) reveal beliefs of the people, (2) appear more primitive than the contemporary sculpture and (3) preserve traditional features (Gordon 1938).