POTTERY. Even more than jewelry the pottery of India, especially in its unglazed varieties, pre selves the ancient forms shown in the early sculp tures and paintings. The potters of the villages ave never changed these forms since very early times. Unglazed pottery has been made every where in India. and still survives quite generally, especially in the Punjab. Decorative pottery for commercial purposes, painted, gilt, glazed, or even pierced. is made in special varieties in dif ferent provinces: for instance, the gilt pottery at Amrolia, the black and silvery ware at Azim ghar, whose meretricious art is in great contrast to the simply beautiful glazed ware of Sindh, of Madura, and of the Punjab. The special pre eminence of the best Indian pottery has always been the strict subordination of color and orna ment to form and the conventionalizing and repetition of natural forms in the decoration. The glazed ware of these three schools only is worthy of standing beside the beautiful primitive unglazed pottery. Their knop and flower pat terns, and other favorite floral designs, imitate classic and even Assyrian, Persian, and Egyptian originals: the shapes of the vases are also those of antique examples found in Oriental. Etruscan. and Creek tombs. The turquoise blue. golden brown. dark green, or purple colors are the most beautiful. The exquisite color tones and combi nations can be studied even better in the glazed tiles which came into fashion with the Moham medan conquest after the eleventh century. These encaustic tiles, when used to cover large wall spaces, or even entire buildings such as mosques, produce an unparalleled effect of splendor. Here especially is Persian influence predominant. Tho potter was also the image•maker, producing in numerable 'minted clay figurines, 11111 Oily of the gods, to be worshiped in families and shrine, 311.rx1.-Womi. Among the lir:nu-110.s Of artistic metalwork Mat of the arms and equipment of the great chieftains is prominent. The Buddhist, 11111(111, 1111(1 •11111111 Seid1/11111'S how 11111111110 an many of the forms still in recent use, but of vomit works that are preserved the finest do not dal( back of the great Alabratta There are two main the Hindu and the Persian. The Punjab and Rajpittana were among the main (-entre, of the art. A comparison of the three great schools of the medbeval orient shows that the most delicate and simple was the Arab, with its tine filigree work; richer and more highly col. (Ted was the Persian with its damaskeening, enameling, and carving: but riehest of all wits the Indian, which indeed sinned, perhaps, by excess of decoration, breaking the outlines and color scheme relief. hammered and cut
goldwork, and a multitude of gems. The collec tion of Icing Edward has tire finest examples of damaskeened suits, of crusading blades carved in relief, and of early matchlocks. The use of carved ivory often gives added brilliancy. Dia monds. rubies, and emeralds are the principal stones used, and the designs are largely floral. The collection of the India :Museum ranks next to that of King Edward. (If the ehieftains' swords valued as heirlooms and State possessions the finest are those of Swaji, Sultan Chand, and Polygar Katabomma Naik.
Domaskeening in gold and silver wire is a process probably imported during the 3,liddle Ages into India from Persia and Syria. IL is practiced in Kashmir, the Punjab, and the Nizam's dominions, though originally of wider Lse. The ornamentation is in floral patterns, either naturalist ic ( Bider ) or (Purniah). The boxes, howls, vases, and caskets with this decoration often equal the best Moham medan work of Egypt and Persia, and are among the most harmonions of Indian industrial works for form and well-composed ornament. The re lief work in metal is less chaste and admirable, in brass, copper-gilt, bronze, or the pre pir us metals, where the high relief technique and bunion and animal figures are often used. The gold and gilt work, however, is usually exquisite. The oldest example. are Buddhist pieces found in the Punjab and Afghanistan \rah ("moo characteristics. The later work in chased parcel-gilt and gold sometimes pierced, especially that of Kashmir, is beautiful in shape. the gold lit ing often given a ruddy line or olive-brown. Ineknow, Darea. Catch. and fiujarat have been famous goldsmith centres.
Images or idols of gold and silver, brass and copper. or of an elaborate alloy, have always been profusely used in private houses for wor ship. Some are of gold. as those of Krishna and Saras•at otters of silver. as those of Shitala; itlicr4 of copper. such as those of Surya and the serpent Naga. The larger figures are always cast and finished by hand.
EN %vim.. The art of enameling in is still praetieed in greatest at Jaipur in liajput anti, unique for the beauty of its ruby reds, coral reds, emerald greens. and turquoise and sapphire blues. Somewhat less perfect are the products of the schools of Luelmow, lienares, and Lahore. Indian enamels are combined re markably with precious stones. Transparent enamels are used with suceess, and !sometimes thin plate of gold cut in elaborate scenes of fig. ,11111 ornamentation and etched with a graver is superposed over an enamel ground melted on a gold back.