Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum

A catalogue of the Ashmolean’s collection of Indian art by J. C. Harle and Andrew Topsfield (published Oxford, 1987).

Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum by J. C. Harle and Andrew Topsfield

Publications online: 143 objects

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Terracotta figure of a bull or ox

  • Literature notes

    These two toy figures of bulls, crude as they are in comparison to the animals depicted on some of the seals, already show some of the plastic sense as well as the sympathy for animals which have always characterized the Indian modeller and sculptor. Although straight backed cattle were already known in Harappan times, these appear to have been modelled on the typical Indian breed (bos indicus) with its hump, only traces of which remain, however, on these little animals. The larger (left) has a neatly drilled hole through its neck. It was probably one of a pair, and the hole allowed one of the small terracotta bullock carts, many of which have been found at Harappan sites, to be attached; it also suggests that the modeller had oxen in mind. The set of horns on both animals supports this. The smaller (right) has pellet eyes.

    Chanhu-daro is an important Harappan site some 75 miles (120 km.) south of Mohenjodaro. According to the excavator, bulls with drilled holes for attaching little carts are not found at the latter site while the front and rear legs joined together, as in the pair illustrated, are only found there at the earlier levels.
  • Description

    This animal has holes drilled at the neck, suggesting it was fitted to a model cart.

  • Details

    Associated place
    AsiaPakistanSindh province Chanhu-daro (place of creation)
    Date
    2500 - 2300 BC
    Material and technique
    terracotta
    Dimensions
    5.4 x 9.2 x 3.5 cm max. (height x width x depth)
    Material index
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Purchased, 1941.
    Accession no.
    EACh.1
  • Further reading

    Harle, J. C., and Andrew Topsfield, Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1987), no. 2 on pp. 3-4, illus. p. 4

    Ahuja, Naman, ‘Early Indian Art at the Ashmolean Museum - Catalogue in progress’, 2016, no. 14.1

Location

    • Ground floor | Room 12 | India to 600

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum by J. C. Harle and Andrew Topsfield

    Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum

    These two toy figures of bulls, crude as they are in comparison to the animals depicted on some of the seals, already show some of the plastic sense as well as the sympathy for animals which have always characterized the Indian modeller and sculptor. Although straight backed cattle were already known in Harappan times, these appear to have been modelled on the typical Indian breed (bos indicus) with its hump, only traces of which remain, however, on these little animals. The larger (left) has a neatly drilled hole through its neck. It was probably one of a pair, and the hole allowed one of the small terracotta bullock carts, many of which have been found at Harappan sites, to be attached; it also suggests that the modeller had oxen in mind. The set of horns on both animals supports this. The smaller (right) has pellet eyes.

    Chanhu-daro is an important Harappan site some 75 miles (120 km.) south of Mohenjodaro. According to the excavator, bulls with drilled holes for attaching little carts are not found at the latter site while the front and rear legs joined together, as in the pair illustrated, are only found there at the earlier levels.
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Object information may not accurately reflect the actual contents of the original publication, since our online objects contain current information held in our collections database. Click on 'buy this publication' to purchase printed versions of our online publications, where available, or contact the Jameel Study Centre to arrange access to books on our collections that are now out of print.

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