The Indus Valley

Shiva Seal
Title: Shiva Seal
Artist: No artist
Location (Architecture): Unknown
Culture of Origin: Indus Valley
Medium: Steatite
Patron:
Approximate date: 2500 - 1500 B.C.E
Description:
The seal depicts a person sitting in a yoga-like pose around the portrays of various animals. The person is very likely to have three faces - two facing to the sides and one facing straight forward. This particular detail may be associated in a reference to ancient gods of India that were often depicted having multiple faces and hands (common in later Indian culture) (Siva) . Another interesting detail is that while animals appeared on seals were tend to be depicted in precise anatomical fashion, the manner in which the persons are carved is very abstract. This fact is the trend that remained in India for many years to come. It shows the attitude of Indian people towards human beings to be much less significant than toward animals. This fact is very uncommon in other Asian cultures. The seals were used in administrative purposes such as sealing bales and clay products. Therefore the inscriptions are believed to be personal names and administrative ranks of the seal users.



Terra-Cotta Female Figure
Title: Terra-Cotta Female Figure
Artist: No artist
Location (Architecture): Unknown
Culture of Origin: Indus Valley
Medium: Clay
Patron:
Approximate date: 2500 - 1500 B.C.E
Description:
These depictions of women were widespread. Vast amounts of those figures were found in Mohenjo-Daro. The women in those figures are almost nude. They are believed to be devoted to a power of fertility of women.



High Priest
Title: High Priest
Artist: No artist
Location (Architecture): Mohejo-Daro
Culture of Origin: Indus Valley
Medium: Limestone
Patron: National Museum of Pakistan
Approximate date: 2500 - 1500 B.C.E
Description:
The torso of a male person who is believed to be priest or governmental worker. The manner in which the figure is depicted is highly abstractive. The artist was more concerned with the position that the human held rather than the way he looked. It was found in unusually ornamental brickwork.

Male torso from Harappa
Title: Male Torso from Harappa
Artist: No artist
Location (Architecture): Harappa
Culture of Origin: Indus Valley
Medium: Limestone
Patron: National Museum, Neh Delhi, India
Approximate date: 2500 - 1500 B.C.E
Description:
The sculpture shows a dancing male person. There is a theory that the figure may have had several heads, because the pose of the figure is identical to the pose of Shiva, the Lord of Dance, created several thousands years after.


Mahenjo-Daro Great Bath
Title: Great Bath
Artist: No artist
Location (Architecture): Mahenjo-Daro
Culture of Origin: Indus Valley
Medium: Bricks and Gypsum Plaster
Patron: Pakistan
Approximate date: 2500 - 1500 B.C.E
Description:
The Great Bath is 40 feet by 30 feet and was sunk 8 feet below the surface of the surrounding pavement.


Mahenjo-Daro
Title: Mahenjo-Daro
Artist: No artist
Location (Architecture): Mahenjo-Daro
Culture of Origin: Indus Valley
Medium: N/A
Patron: Pakistan
Approximate date: 2500 - 1500 B.C.E
Description:
The city is a greed of east-west and north-south streets. There were small ritual centers, but no evidence of big temples were found. Also no signs of royalty buildings as well tombs were found. The south-eastern city is full of craft workshops, domestic buildings, and private shrines. Another strange fact about Mahenjo-Daro is that there is no evidence of presence of any military buildings. In general the structure of Mahenjo-Daro seems to be very different from big cities in other great dynasties of that time.

Indus Valley TERMS:
Shiva (Siva) -is one of the deities of Hinduism. In art Shiva is usually depicted in deep meditation or dancing.

Intaglio - is the printmaking technique in which the desired picture is cut into the surface and then pressed against deforming surface.