CKKAMIC WAI IKS 



CLAYS 



POTTERY-CLAYS 



It tills up the pores of the paper and gives a smoother and 

 absorbent surface. [Cf. Cross and Bevan, Paper-making, 1900, 

 is formed by the gradual disintegration of felspar UII<!T 

 ,u -t ion of air and water, and consists essentially of a silicate of alu- 

 Its quality depends upon its whiteness and freedom from tin- 

 micaceous particles. Although there is probably nowhere in 

 ja an occurrence of the finest porcelain-clay, such as that of the south- 

 stern counties of England, yet there are several districts where fine 

 itr clays exist and are utilised for pottery. In fact the chief districts 

 such clays occur are naturally more or less identical with the localities 

 in- Indian Art potteries are produced. The following brief state- 

 it may be useful : 



Ceramic Ware. There are three classes of pottery : (a) Aboriginal 

 (6) Hindu work, and (c) Muhammadan work. Ceremonial usage 

 Migst the Hindus requires that pottery, whether polluted or not, shall 

 thrown away on certain specified occasions, so that there has arisen a 

 j;e trade in a cheap material where artistic developments would be 

 luous. So far as the production of this everyday domestic pottery 

 ned, the potter will probably always hold an important position 

 lage life. But even he is beginning to feel the stress of competition, 

 izing is unnecessary unless the ware be meant to hold water, and since 

 stic ware has mainly been produced in the way of grain or pickle jars, 

 ited or lacquered pottery is equally serviceable and infinitely cheaper 

 glazed ware. Indeed, with the exception of the few examples dis- 

 rered in association with the Dravidians of South India and the fragments 

 Id pottery found in the Charsada excavations near Peshawar, there 

 10 reason to suppose that glazed earthenware vessels were at all used 

 India prior to the Muhammadan conquests. The former of the two 

 eptions possibly is suggestive of the origin of the apparently spon- 

 leous art of glazing found at Vellore in North Arcot. Beyond the 

 itier of India, moreover, it has been recently shown by Stein (Ancient 

 otari) that an advanced knowledge existed from perhaps the second 

 itury of our era. It is just possible, therefore, that the discoveries 

 i in the south and north of India of old glazed pottery (and even of glass) 

 icate Buddhist rather than Hindu work. But that the glazed pottery 

 [ndia, as generally accepted by European connoisseurs, began with the 

 lammadan traffic in coloured tiles for mosques and tombs there can 

 no doubt. To this day the village potter (kumhdr) is nearly always 

 Qndu, and he makes unglazed pottery, whilst the ceramic artist (kuzagdr, 

 Mgdr) is ordinarily a Muhammadan (except in such rare and notable 

 es as that of the Hindu kuzagdr s of Delhi). Moreover the kuzagdr 

 sn purchases from the village potter sun-dried vessels which he after- 

 rds ornaments and fires. It is a matter of everyday knowledge that 

 glazed vessels of recent times, so eagerly purchased by visitors to 

 i, are but special adaptations gladly pursued by the Indian craftsmen 

 the decadence of the demand for tiles. In any case all present-day 

 glazed pottery in India (except perhaps the Vellore work) is Indo-Saracenic 

 in design, is made by Muhammadans, and sold exclusively to Muhammadans 

 or Christians. Mr. Hughes Bailer and Mr. Gupte recently discovered a 

 kiln and rude contrivance for making pottery in Baluchistan, which seemed 

 to have been used for making glazed- ware, since fragments of such pottery 

 were found near by. Mr. Buller is of opinion that the fragments in ques- 



331 



i'..j. i-r Mlfef, 



Ceramic 

 Ware. 



Potter's 

 Position. 



Mated 



Pottery. 



Glazed 

 Pottery. 



Influence. 



The K 

 and the 



Kuzagdr. 



Indo- 



.-.ir.ici-i.ii-. 



