Natural colours of terracotta & its

commercial use

UJWALA GUJAR
YOGESHA PRAJAPTI
RAJKUMAR PRAJAPI
Rural Craft and Engineering Section
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Industrialization
A national Institute Under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises,
Govt of India
Maganwadi, Ramnager, Wardha 442 001
07152 253512, 243350, 253513/FAX - 07152-240 328
Website: www.mgiri.org

Preface


I am please to present the experimental report on Natural colours of terracotta & its commercial use. This
experimental work has been conducted in my guidance by Mr Yogesha Prajapti Mr Rajkumar Prajapati and Miss Ujwala Gujar
during her association with the Rural Craft & Engineering Section of Mahatma Gandhi of Rural Industrialization, Wardha.
During India International Trade Faire 2008 the costumers demanded natural coloured terracotta jewellery. For
natural colour of terracotta product we started our experiment with available Indigenous Technical Knowhow of the artisan.
Painting with fine clay on the pots is very old practices. We collected the available fine clay of different regions for different shades
of clays. Now we achieved few shades for composition of terracotta jewellery with natural colours. Few SHGs are already started
the production of natural coloured terracotta jewellery.
We encourage more groups as well as indusial to take up this occupation for their income generation and cultural
development of India.
Best Wishes


(S P Mishra)
Senior Scientific Officer
Rural Craft & Engg Section

Note: This article is offered free to everyone, with the clear understanding that it cannot be copied for publication/sale under any
circumstance, and can be copied for distribution only with attribution to and written permission of the concerned Scientist.

AcknowledgementS
The authors are elevated in expressing their deepest sense of reverence & gratitude to Mr S P Mishra, Senior
Scientific Officer of Rural Craft and Engineering Section, MGIRI for his sincere guidance, sustained interest, painstaking efforts
and constructive criticism throughout the experiment period of this creative and innovative work. Without his valuable
suggestions for improvement at each stage, this work might not have taken its present shape.
The authors are greatly indebted to Dr. T Karunakaran, Director and Mr K V Rao Deputy Director Rural Craft &
Engg Section MGIRI, Wardha for his immense interest during the design experiment conducted.
It is also our immense pleasure to convey thanks to Mr Tapas Dasgupta Principal Scientific Officer of Rural Craft &
Engg Section for his diligent help.
We wish to put on record the help of Mr Eshwer Marskhole of Rural Craft & Engg Section.
Last but not the least authors expressers their gratitude to all the artisan of different cluster those helped for
identifying the local fine clay of their region.

28th Sept. 2009 Yogesh Prajapati
Raj Kumar Prajapati
Ujwala Gujar

Natural colours of terracotta & its commercial use
Introduction
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta (Italian "baked earth", from the Latin terra cocta) is a clay-based unglazed ceramic. Its
uses include vessels, water & waste water pipes and surface embellishment in building construction, along with sculpture
such as the Terracotta Army and Greek terracotta figurines. The term is also used to refer to items made out of this material
and to its natural, brownish orange color. In archaeology and art history, "terracotta" is often used of objects not made on a
potters wheel, such as figurines, where objects made on the wheel from the same material, possibly even by the same
person, are called pottery; the choice of term depending on the type of object rather than the material. Plain unglazed
pottery is often also called terracotta
Pottery has a wide universality and its tradition goes back to span of five millennium. This craft came via Persia, when
Mongal Chengiz Khan had conquered China in AD 1212. The remains of the terracotta objects from the early historical sites
of Mathura, Rajgaht, Kanauj, Kaushambi and Ayodhya reveal the existence of terracotta art in ancient past.Meerut is famous
for its turned and moulded water containers with striking designs of flowing lines and floral patterns. Gorakhpur has
continued the age old Tradition by making decorative and ritual terracotta objects. Amroha pottery used to be thin and
brittle white in colour and ornamented with colours and with gold and silver leaf.In Mathura-Vrindavan, the art of working
in terracotta is of greater antiquity. These terracotta are not only documents of religious sculpture but are important as
documents of early history of art, expression of the artisitic urge of man. The art and technique of blue pottery were
brought to Jaipur, Rajasthan, by the Rajput king Man Singh. It later flourished under the patronage of his great grandson
Maharaja Sawai Jai Sing II.While blue pottery itself originally came to India from Persia and Afghanistan (. History of Pottery,
www. History of Indian Crafts)



Terracotta Colour
The unglazed colour after firing can vary widely, but most common clays contain enough iron to cause an orange, orangish
red, or brownish orange colour, with this range including various colours described as "terracotta". Other colours include
yellow, gray, and pink. Terra cotta is made in several colours, depending chiefly upon the amount of heat it has gone
through. White, pale grey, pale yellow, or straw colour indicate a want of firing. Rich yellow, pink, and buff varieties are
generally well burnt. A green hue is a sign of absorption of moisture, and is a sign of bad material. A glazed surface can be
given to terra cotta if required.
"Another very reprehensible custom is that of coating over the clay, just before it goes into the kiln, with a thin wash of
some ochreish paint, mixed with finely ground clay, which produces a sort of artificial bloom, very pretty looking for the
first year or two after the work is executed, but sure to wear off before long.
Nature of Clay
As before mentioned, the red clays contain oxide of iron. If this is in considerable proportion (say from 8 to 10 per cent), it
makes them very fusible and difficult to burn successfully. This fusibility is aggravated by the presence of lime, magnesia,
and other impurities, and the resulting terra cotta is not so hard and durable as that from the more refractory white clays.
In some cases the white clay is used with an admixture of oxide of iron just sufficient to make it burn to a good red colour.
Objectives
The main objectives are-
to study natural colour of terracotta available in local region of Wardha.
to increase the commercial value of terracotta products.
to develop new products based on the available knowledge.
1 Material Culture
The material remains of this period include pottery, stone artefacts, copper/bronze object and other objects.
Pottery- The pottery that we discover from all the excavated graves is the black-and-red ware. The characteristic types are
shallow tray bowls and deep bowls, both with a rounded base, conical lids with knobs or loops on the apex, pottery ring stands
and larger water pots with rounded bases, etc.
Pottery in Phase I (2500-1800 B.C.) was predominantly handmade, grey or buff-brown. This grey ware is characterized by the
use of bands of red ochre, applied after firing. What is interesting is that some of these pottery forms have applied ring feet and
hollow pedestals which recall the pre-Harrappan types known from Amri and Kalibangan. The other ceramic type of Phase I had
a black or red burnished slip, with a purple painted decoration.
In Phase I1 (1800-1500 B.C.) the red and black slipped wares disappear and new , types occur, These new are perforated
vessels, and vessels with spouts. In ceramic manufacture, the technique of roughening the outer surface of vessels is used, and
this recalls the one employed in the pre-Harappan levels of Baluchistan.
In Phase 111 (1400-1050 B.C.) new ceramic types occur:
a) a grey and buff ware with a harder surface and
b) a wheel thrown unburnished ware with purple paint. This latter type displays affinities with the Jorwe type of Maharashtra,
thus indicating cultural contacts between the southern Deccan and the northern Deccan. The pottery forms are various kinds of
bowls (bowls with lips, lugs and spouts), handled and hollow footed bowls, jars, dishes on stand, perforated vessels, and spouted
vessels. Evolution of Early Society: 2400 B.C. to 1000 B.C.UNIT 11 CHALCOLITHIC AND EARLY, IRON AGE -11
Review of literature
Firing Ranges and Natural Clay Colours
Terra cotta is made in several colours, depending chiefly upon the amount of heat it has gone through. White, pale grey, pale
yellow, or straw colour indicate a want of firing. Rich yellow, pink, and buff varieties are generally well burnt.
Stoneware clays like Goldart and most fire clays give an off-white colour at low temperatures, and at midrange and high-fire
temperatures will produce a tan in oxidation and gray in reduction.
Ball clays generally give white at low fire temperatures, and an off-white or gray at high-fire.
Most kaolin's produce white at all temperatures.
Red stoneware clays like Carbondale , Lizella, or Neuman red often tend to be quite coarse, but can still give a good brick-red
terra sig that will survive to high-fire temperatures without fusing into a glaze. Some red stoneware clays may need to be ball-
milled before incorporation into the initial mixture.
Slip clays like Barnard or Blackbird are often too coarse to make a terra sig, but might respond well to ball milling.
For the purposes of black ware firing, a properly-made Redart sig produces a very dense coating, and gives a range of colours
from brick red to jet-black, and any re-oxidized spots will go back to brick red. Ball clay terra sig is slightly more porous, and in a
black ware bon firing can give intense jet-black, and any re-oxidized spots will go to gray or white.
Vince Pitelka , 2006, Super-Refined Terra Sigillata, Digitalfire website.
Experimentation-
It was observed that in India after every 20 to 25 kms the water, speaking style and colour & texture of clay changes. So for
natural colour terracotta it is very easy to collect the pottery clay from different location and use the combination of different clay
colour.
The potters of Wardha area brings good quality clay from Bhandra, Rajura, Temburda, Yawatamal and Pet (Nagpur) area. In this
clay they mix locally available black cotton clay and gray colour clay (Bhasuw clay). Black cotton clay have adequate quantity of
iron oxide which gives deep red after baking. For deep red terracotta product potters of this region mix 1/3 black cotton clay in
good quality pottery clay of brought from outside.
Clay collected from different regions-
1) Black cotton clay of Wardha
2) Gray (bhasuwa) clay of Wardha
3) Pottery clay of Rajura
4) Pottery clay of Bhandra
5) Red colour pottery clay of Temburda
6) Yellow colour pottery clay of Temburda and
7) Red colour pottery clay of Yawatamal
Mixing of different clay for different colour combination- Initially basic colours of different terracotta clay was recorded Then for
preparation of colour shed card of following combinations of clays available in local region were made -




Treatment
Number
Bhandara clay Rajura clay Black cotton clay Bhasuwa clay

T1 (R1) 1 1 1
-
T2 (R3) 1 1
--
T3 (R8) 1 1 -
-
T4 (R9) 1 1
-
T5 (R10) 1
-
T6 (R2) 1
-
T7 (R12) 1 -
-
T8 (R4) 1
-
T9 (R5)
-
T10 (R11) - 1
-
T11 (R7) - 1
-
T12 (R13) 1 1
-
Clay combinations
Treatment
number.
Bhandara clay Rajura clay Black cotton clay Bhasuwa clay
T13 (R2 1)
1 1 1 1
T14 R2 18 1 1 1
T15 (R2 3)
1 1
T16R2 14 1 1
T17 (R2 9)
1
T18 (R2 2)
1
T19R2 15 1 - 1
T20R2 25 1 - -
T21 (R2 10)
1
T22 (R2 4)
1
T23 (R2 6)
1
T24 (R2 8)
1 -
T25R2 17 1 1 1
Treatment
number.
Bhandara clay Rajura clay Black cotton clay Bhasuwa clay
T26 (R2 20) 1
T27 (R2 5)

T28 (R2 19) - 1 1
T29 (R2 11)
1
T30 (R2 7)
- 1 1 1
T31 (R2 13)
- 1 1
T32 (R2 12)
- 1
T33R2 21 - 1 - 1
T34R2 22 - 1 -
T35R2 16 - 1 1
T36R2 23 - - 1 1
T37R2 24 - - 1
Treatment
number.
Bhandara
clay
Rajura
clay
Black
cotton
clay
Bhasuwa
clay
Temurda
yellow clay
Temurda
red clay
T38 (R3 36) 1 1 1 1 1 1
T39 (R3 26) 1 1 - - 1 -
T40 (R3 39) 1 - - - 1
T41 (R3 38) 1 1 1 1 -
T42 (R3 31) 1 1 -
T43 (R3 35) 1
T44 (R3 32) - 1 - - 1 1
T45 (R3 27) - 1 - - 1 -
T46 (R3 33) - 1 - - 1 -
T47 (R3 37) - 1 - 1
T48 (R3 29) - 1 -
T49 (R3 30) - - 1 -
T50 (R3 28) - 1 1 -
T 51 (R3 34) - - 1
T52 (R3 40) - - 1
Treatment
number.
Murum
clay
Balaghat clay Rajura
clay
Rajashani
clay
Bhadrawati
clay
Temurda
red clay
T53 (R4 5) 1 - 1 - - -
T54 (R4 6) - 1 - - -
T55 (R4 7) - - - -
T56 (R4 1) - - - -
T57 (R4 3) - - - -
T58 (R4 4) - - - -
T59 (R4 8) - - - -
T60 (R4 2) - - - -
BALAGHAT CLAY
RAJURA CLAY
BHASUWA CLAY
WARDHA BLACK CLAY
TEMBURDA YELLOW CLAY
TEMBURDA R+Y CLAY
TEMBURDA RED CLAY
BHANDARA CLAY
YAWATMAL CLAY
RESULTS
BASIC COLOURS OF DIFFERENT TERRACOTTA CLAY
BIO COLOUR CLAY
Treatment
Number
Bhandara Rajura Black clay
T1 (R1) 1 1 1
T2(R3) 1 1
T3(R8) 1 1 -
T4(R9) 1 1
T5(R10) 1
T6(R2) 1
T7(R12) 1 -
Treatment
Number
Bhandara Rajura Black clay
T8(R4) 1
T9(R5)
Treatment
Number
Bhandara Rajura Black clay
T10(R11) - 1
T11(R7) - 1
T12(R13) 1 1
Treatment
number.
Bhandara clay Rajura clay Black cotton
clay
Bhasuwa clay
T13 (R2 1)
1 1 1 1
T14 R2 18 1 1 1
T15 (R2 3)
1 1
T16R2 14 1 1
T17 (R2 9)
1
T18 (R2 2)
1
T19R2 15 1 - 1
T20R2 25 1 - -
Treatment
number.
Bhandara
clay
Rajura clay Black cotton
clay
Bhasuwa
clay
T20 (R2 10)
1
T21 (R2 4)
1
T22 (R2 6)
1
T23 (R2 8)
1 -
T24 R2 20 1
T25 (R2 18) 1 1 - 1
T26 (R2 5)

T27 (R2 19) - 1 1
Treatment
number.
Bhandara
clay
Rajura clay Black cotton
clay
Bhasuwa
clay
T21 (R2 10)
1
T22 (R2 4)
1
T23 (R2 6)
1
T24 (R2 8)
1 -
T25R2 17 1 1 1
T26 (R2 20) 1
T27 (R2 5)

T28 (R2 19) - 1 1
T29 (R2 11)
1
Treatment
number.
Bhandara
clay
Rajura clay Black cotton
clay
Bhasuwa
clay
T30 (R2 7)
- 1 1 1
T31 (R2 13)
- 1 1
T32 (R2 12)
- 1
T33R2 21 - 1 - 1
T34R2 22 - 1 -
T35R2 16 - 1 1
T36R2 23 - - 1 1
T37R2 24 - - 1
Treatment
number.
Bhandara
clay
Rajura
clay
Black
cotton
clay
Bhasuwa
clay
Temurda
yellow clay
Temurda red clay
T38 (R3 36) 1 1 1 1 1 1
T39 (R3 26) 1 1 - - 1 -
T40 (R3 39) 1 - - - 1
T41 (R3 38) 1 1 1 1 -
T42 (R3 31) 1 1 -
T43 (R3 35) 1
(R3 26) (R3 27)
Treatment
number.
Bhandara
clay
Rajura clay Black cotton
clay
Bhasuwa
clay
Temurda
yellow clay
Temurda red
clay
T44 (R3 32) - 1 - - 1 1
T45 (R3 27) - 1 - - 1 -
T46 (R3 33) - 1 - - 1 -
T47 (R3 37) - 1 - 1
T48 (R3 29) - 1 -
T49 (R3 30) - - 1 -
T50 (R3 28) - 1 1 -
T 51 (R3 34) - - 1
T52 (R3 40) - - 1
(R3 27) (R3 28)
(R3 29)
Treatment
number.
Murum Balaghat Rajura Rajashan Bhadrawati Temurda
red
T53 (R4 5) 1 - 1 - - -
T54 (R4 6) - 1 - - -
T55 (R4 7) - - - -
Treatment
number.
Murum Balaghat Rajura Rajashan Bhadrawati Temurda
red
T56 (R4 1) - - - -
T57 (R4 3) - - - -
T58 (R4 4) - - - -
T59 (R4 8) - - - -
T60 (R4 2) - - - -
R2 23
R4 4
R3 33
CHINA+TEMBURDA Y
R4 1
YAWTMAL
RESULTS
SELECTED COLOURS OF TERRACOTTA
NATURE COLOUR
TERRACOTTA JEWELLERY


Colour:
Nature clay colour

Size- Standard size
Price- 150/- per piece
TERRACOTTA NECKLACE SET UJD-03
ATTACHMENT

NECKLACE
Clay beads - Ball beads
6mm-10nos
3mm-11nos
2mm-5nos
Rice shape beads
8mm-9nos
moon shape beads
13mm-11nos
Melon shape beads
9mm-7nos
Neck Chain/rope - Black cotton necklace
thread
EARRING
Clay beads - Ball beads
4mm-4nos
drum shape beads
15mm-2nos
rice shape beads
8mm-2nos
Earring hooks - Brass wire with golden
colourNo-22


Colour:
Nature clay colour

Size- Standard size
Price- 150/- per piece
TERRACOTTA NECKLACE SET UJD-03
ATTACHMENT

NECKLACE
Clay beads - Ball beads
2mm-16nos
moon shape beads
13mm-4nos
Melon shape beads
9mm-10nos
10mm-2nos
Rice shape beads
12mm-1nos
flower shape beads
8mm-2nos
Neck Chain/rope - Black cotton necklace
thread
EARRING
Clay beads - Ball beads
2mm-2nos
Rice shape beads
12mm-2nos
moon shape beads
15mm-2nos
flower shape beads
8mm-2nos
Earring hooks - Brass wire with golden
colourNo-22


Colour:
Nature clay colour
Size- Standard size
Price- 150/- per piece
TERRACOTTA NECKLACE SET UJD-03
ATTACHMENT

NECKLACE
Clay beads - Ball beads
4mm-2nos
5mm-4nos
9mm-2nos
12mm-2nos
Drum beads
10mm-2nos
Flower shape beads
8mm-3nos
Neck Chain/rope-Black cotton necklace thread
Glass beads -Black round shaped beads,
blue kite shaped beads
EARRING
Clay beads - Ball beads 12mm-2nos
Earring hooks - Brass wire with golden
colour No-22
Glass beads - Round shaped beads,
Kite shaped beads


Colour:
Nature clay colour

Size- Standard size
Price- 150/- per piece
TERRACOTTA NECKLACE SET UJD-03
ATTACHMENT

NECKLACE
Clay beads - Ball beads
2mm-5nos
Cone shape beads
leagth13mm,dia8mm-4no
flower shape beads
8mm-2nos
6mm-2nos
Neck Chain/rope - Black cotton necklace
thread
Glass beads Green rectangle shaped beads
Kundan Brown &silver
EARRING
Clay beads - Ball beads
2mm-2nos
flower shape beads
8mm-2nos
Earring hooks - Brass wire with golden
colourNo-22
Glass beads Green rectangle shaped beads
Kundan -Brown & silver


Colour:
Nature clay colour

Size- Standard size
Price- 150/- per piece
TERRACOTTA NECKLACE SET UJD-03
ATTACHMENT

NECKLACE
Clay beads - Ball beads
6mm-2nos
Flat pear shape beads
10mm-12nos
Barrel shape beads
8mm-2nos
Flower shape beads
8mm-2nos
Glass beads - 5mm-12nos
Neck Chain/rope - Black cotton necklace
thread
EARRING
Clay beads - Ball beads
6mm-2nos
Barrel shape beads
8mm-2nos
Flower shape beads
8mm-2nos
Glass beads 5mm-2nos
Earring hooks - Brass wire with golden
colourNo-22


Colour:
Nature clay colour

Size- Standard size
Price- 150/- per piece
TERRACOTTA NECKLACE SET UJD-03
ATTACHMENT

NECKLACE
Clay beads - Ball beads
2mm-16nos
moon shape beads
13mm-4nos
Melon shape beads
9mm-10nos
10mm-2nos
Rice shape beads
12mm-1nos
flower shape beads
8mm-2nos
Neck Chain/rope - Black cotton necklace
thread
EARRING
Clay beads - Ball beads
2mm-2nos
Rice shape beads
12mm-2nos
moon shape beads
15mm-2nos
flower shape beads
8mm-2nos
Earring hooks - Brass wire with golden
colourNo-22