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 head of an animal, possibly a bull

  • Literature notes

    The Museum has a collection of megalithic wares from several sites near Hyderbad in Andhra, excavated in the 2nd and 3rd decades of this century by E.H. Hunt and belonging to what is termed the South Indian Iron Age or Megalithic Grave Complex. While iron age graves in Andhra and Tamilnadu characterised by the megalithic wares have been extensively investigated, they have been marked by an almost total absence of the terracottas depicting humans and animals which are such a common feature of the early historical period in India. This may be due, of course, to the fact that very few settlements, as opposed to graves, have belonged to complete animals, appear to be unique.

    The heads portrayed [EAX.235 and EAX.236] are of quite different animals. One would appear to be an antelope with its relatively pointed head and straight swept-back horns. The other has a highly distinctive appearance and since there appear to be no other examples in pre-historic or early Indian art, one must assume that the animal was known to the modeller. With its straight-sided jaw and raised nasal region, indicating what appears to be an abnormally large nasal cavity, there is a striking resemblance between the animal depicted and a saiga (Saiga tatarica) of S.E. Russia and parts if Central Asia.
  • Details

    Associated place
    AsiaIndiasouth IndiaAndhra Pradesh Motamari (place of excavation)
    AsiaIndiasouth IndiaAndhra Pradesh Motamari (place of creation)
    Date
    7th century BC - 2nd century AD
    Associated people
    E. H. Hunt (active early 20th century) (excavator)
    Material and technique
    terracotta
    Dimensions
    10 x 14 x 6.8 cm max., after restoration (height x width x depth)
    9.5 x 14 x 6.8 cm max. (height x width x depth)
    Material index
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Accession no.
    EAX.236
  • Further reading

    Harle, J. C., and Andrew Topsfield, Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1987), no. 4 on pp. 4-5, illus. p. 5

    Ahuja, Naman, ‘Early Indian Art at the Ashmolean Museum - Catalogue in progress’, 2016, no. 25.2

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

    The Museum has a collection of megalithic wares from several sites near Hyderbad in Andhra, excavated in the 2nd and 3rd decades of this century by E.H. Hunt and belonging to what is termed the South Indian Iron Age or Megalithic Grave Complex. While iron age graves in Andhra and Tamilnadu characterised by the megalithic wares have been extensively investigated, they have been marked by an almost total absence of the terracottas depicting humans and animals which are such a common feature of the early historical period in India. This may be due, of course, to the fact that very few settlements, as opposed to graves, have belonged to complete animals, appear to be unique.

    The heads portrayed [EAX.235 and EAX.236] are of quite different animals. One would appear to be an antelope with its relatively pointed head and straight swept-back horns. The other has a highly distinctive appearance and since there appear to be no other examples in pre-historic or early Indian art, one must assume that the animal was known to the modeller. With its straight-sided jaw and raised nasal region, indicating what appears to be an abnormally large nasal cavity, there is a striking resemblance between the animal depicted and a saiga (Saiga tatarica) of S.E. Russia and parts if Central Asia.
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