Natural Clay is always an integral part of Indian household needs since ancient times. It is used in many ways be it as home decor item, kitchen item or a garden accessory. The handmade Terracotta items can be seen all over India with different local cultural influence.
Every state in India has rich and diverse crafts be it in textiles, pottery, metal or stone. Especially Rajasthan has very unique place in Indian crafts.
Molela Terracotta Art is one such kind of clay art to adorn your home in a traditional way.
Molela Terracotta Art History:
Molela plaque craft was named after the village Molela located in the Rajsamand district in Rajasthan.
The exact origin of how Molela art evolved is unknown; but since many centuries Molela village people are making utilitarian objects with locally available clay from the banks of river Banas. Over time, the practice evolved into a specialized craft, leading to the creation of various deities and mythological figures depicted in low-relief terracotta panels. Today, Molela Terracotta became an essential part of the regional culture, especially for rural populations in western Rajasthan.
Molela Craft design is unique which is hollow inside and the sculpture is moulded on a flat surface. Interesting thing about this art is they use only the organic materials as chemicals like varnish, artificial colours are prohibited to make god idols in this region. The colours used for this art is used from the natural stones and minerals which are found in that region. Molela craftsman usually prepare idols of Indian dieties worshipped in that region like Devnarayan, Bhairavnath, Nagadeva Goddess Durga, Chamundi Devi, Devi Amba, Parvati etc.
Showcasing some beautiful diety images from various artists. Credits are given to respective owners and their instagram pages are tagged. If you wish to see their art please visit their instagram pages from the links provided.
Molela Craft has got the GI tag. UNESCO declared Molela as one of Asia’s most endangered crafts and there is need for urgent safeguarding measures. Therefore, efforts should be taken to preserve and promote this remarkable traditional craftsmanship. If we include these kind of age old traditional crafts in our home decor, it will encourage the local craftsman.
Molela Crart Instagram Profiles:
Below are few instagram profiles of Molela Terracotta artists. Please check their profiles.
If you are inspired by this age old traditional clay art and want to decorate your personal space or balcony garden, then please check the below molela arts available in Amazon.
Image credits: The copyright for images used in this article belong to their respective owners. Best known credits are given under the image. For changing the image credit or to get the image removed from The Whimsical Interiors, please email me at [email protected]
