Bankura horses can be seen in the verandah of most houses in Panchmura.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Strolling through the Panchmura village in West Bengal’s Bankura district feels like touring a terracotta museum. An array of terracotta artefacts are neatly arranged in the verandah of almost all houses.
According to Geographical Indications Journal 101 (published in 2017), this quaint village has been known for crafting artefacts such as bonga haathi (elephant), manasa chali (symbolising snake goddess Manasa), and horse from terracotta for over 300 years. The Bankura horse was bestowed the GI tag in 2018.
It stands out for its elegant form and detailing (drawn eyebrows, visible teeth, and wider jaws), emphasis on features (erect neck and ears), proportion and balance of the body, and materiality.
Local significance
The Bankura horse has a strong religious significance for residents. They offer the Bankura horse to local deities such as god Dharmaraj and Devi Manasa as a symbolic sacrifice.
Terracotta horses of different sizes placed on a raised plinth under a tree, along with other terracotta works, is also a common sight. This also serves as a site of worship for the villagers.
Family involved
The Bankura horse is made in different sizes — ranging from one foot to upwards of 10 feet.
Like with most other craft practices in India, the entire family is involved in the making of the horse. The craft is inherited through generations. “I started working on the wheel during my childhood,” recalls Bhutnath Kumbhakar, great-grandson of Rashbihari Kumbhkar, who won a national award for his contribution to the craft.
The men are involved in crafting shapes on the potter’s wheel. Chandidas Kumbhakar, an artisan, explains, “Most of the work involving refining the form and creating patterns and decorative motifs on the horse is done by women. The patterns are made using simple wooden tools or with hands.”
The verandahs of most houses double up as the workshop. These are semi-open spaces where the wheel occupies a major part. The refining, drying, and detailing work take place alongside and also extend into the lanes. Each house has a dedicated space to store the finished products and visitors are guided inside to see the display.
The artisans also dry and work on their artefacts in the common area in the village centre.
A walk through the lanes reveal half-completed horses and elephants drying in the sun. They will be later joined with other parts to form the whole.
The making
The Bankura horse is hollow and made of fired clay.
Preparing clay is one of the key steps in the craft. Kanchan Kumbhakar, one of the popular artisans of the village, explains:“The clay is locally available. It is meticulously refined to remove small stones and impurities. Small amounts of sand may be added to achieve the right consistency. Preparing clay is a labour-intensive process.”
Each horse is made by joining seven different parts, which are created separately on the potter’s wheel. This technique helps in creating big horses and also in transferring them to different places — considering the fragile nature of clay. However, transporting these artefacts over large distances for exhibitions remains a challenge, points out Bhutnath.
After the different parts of the horse have been made, they are dried in the sun and then fired. A circular kiln, around 10 ft in diameter and made of mud, is used to fire the pieces. The kiln is stacked with artefacts and fired with cow dung cakes and rice husk. The works are fired for about 5 to 7 hours and then allowed to cool. Around 5 to 6 families share a kiln in the community.
Kanchan says that the fired clay gathers a “natural brownish colour”, which gives the Bankura horse a unique character.
Diversification
The crafting community has adapted to evolving market demands. They have expanded their skills to make objects of utility such as the lampshade, vase, jewellery, and cutlery. They also make a variety of wall hangings, murals and other figurines like the monkey from terracotta.
The diversification has helped create awareness about the traditional craft and bring more livelihood opportunities, the artisans say. Bhutnath adds that social media has helped the artisans connect with potential buyers around the country. Earlier, exhibitions were their only avenue to acquire more customers.
Currently, around 80 families in Panchmura are practising the craft. Of these, around 15 families have diversified beyond the traditional form.
As with many other crafts, the number of craftspersons is dwindling in the village as the younger generation is looking for newer sources of income. Every November, exhibitions, and workshops are held in Panchmura for artisans to connect with the communities from neighbouring villages and towns. The artisans demonstrate their products and skills in order to share the knowledge about the Bankura terracotta tradition with the general public and perpetuate the craft for future generations.
(The author is an architect, habitat designer and researcher.)
Seen elsewhere
The Bankura horse used to be the official logo of All India Handicrafts, an advisory body for the development of handicrafts. The body was dissolved in 2020.
A commemorative postage stamp released on Children’s Day in 1957 also bore the image of the Bankura horse.
Wallet factor
“A 2 ft Bankura horse costs Rs 200 to Rs 300 in Panchmura while the same costs in thousands just outside the village,” shares Kanchan Kumbhakar.