1.2 Name of the element, as used by the community or group concerned
The art of terracota pottery at Dumuria Potter's village
1.3 Short, maximally informative title (including indication of domain(s))
Pottery has been the profession of 'Kumars', or potters, of Bengal for centuries.
1.4 Community(ies)/group(s) that recognize the element as part of their cultural heritage
Hindu and rural
1.5 Physical location(s) of the element/how often it is practiced
Practised all over rural Bangladesh
1.6 Short description (max. 200words)
Pottery appeared in Bengal, in all probability, in or around 1500 BC. In an alluvial country like Bengal, fine clay is a distinctive geological feature. The ancient inhabitants of the region exploited this natural resource for making numerous potteries. Archaeological sites, such as pandu rajar dhibi, mahisdal, Bharatpur, Mangalkot, chandraketugarh, tamralipti, rajbadidanga, Harinarayanpur and Bangarh of West Bengal and mahasthangarh, govinda bhita, bhasu vihara, wari-bateshwar, Raja Harish Chandrer Badi, mainamati and paharpur of Bangladesh have produced varieties potsherds/potteries, namely Black-and-Red Ware, Northern Black Polished Ware, Rouletted Ware, Amphorae, Black-slipped Ware, Knobbed Ware etc. While the potteries from the Chalcolithic and the early historic sites have diagnostic characteristics, the early medieval, medieval and late medieval potteries do not; since in later period metal and other utensils replaced traditional potteries used as utensils and for everyday religious and other household purposes. The main types of potteries are described below:
Black and Red Ware, West Bengal
Black and Red Ware is a vessel type with distinct diagnostic features: black in the interior and the exterior top, and red on the exterior. These pots are manufactured by inverted firing technique, though double firing has also been suggested as a technique of manufacture. They are turned on the wheel except a few handmade specimens which come from the earliest level of Pandu Rajar Dhibi. The fabric is medium, though a coarse variety occurs in the early and degenerate phases. The clay is indifferently levigated and tempered with fine sand. In most pots a slip is applied on both sides but vases are treated with slip on the exterior and up to the neck on the interior. Some sherds have achieved a smooth and shining surface due to burnishing. Firing under different conditions has given a few pots a completely black interior and red exterior, while others are partly black and partly red on both sides; the later occur in larger frequency. Some pots are painted on the inner side. The channel-spouted bowl is occasionally stained with red ochre towards the end of the spouts. Graffiti is extremely rare. The common shapes are the medium-sized vase, of which the tulip-shaped flower pot types are distinctive; the other shapes are bowl, channel-spouted bowl, basin, jar, dish-on-stand and vase-stand.
Northern Black Polished Ware, Mahasthan and Wari-Bateshwar
Potteries are to be found practically all over India and in different period eg from Neolithic to post-NBPW culture. Seventy-seven sites have been discovered in West Bengal alone. The chronology in terms of absolute dating and stratigraphy suggest that the Black-and-red ware in West Bengal flourished in circa 1500 BC and continued to evolve till the Chalcolithic culture merged into the historical period dating from circa 3rd century BC.
1.7 Domain of the element (select one or more/suggest alternative domain)
2. Characteristics of the element
2.1 Practitioners(s)/performer(s): roles, age, gender, social status, and/or professional category etc)
2.2 Other tradition bearers (individuals/groups and their roles)
2.6 How are women and people of other genders associated with this ICH element
2.7 Division of labour during the practice of aforementioned ICH element
2.8 Customary practices governing access to the element or to aspects of it
2.9 Modes of transmission
2.10 Organizations concerned (non-governmental organizations and others)
3. State of the element (viability)
3.1 Threats to the enactment (if any)
The people of Kumar Para are not good in Dumuria. The pottery of their original profession is getting lost in the evolution of time. The families are trying to bring salt. Many people are choosing other professions due to stomach ache. The use of pottery is disappearing day by day with the touch of modernity. The government has no control over him, so they will soon be forced to leave the profession. This has been reported by many families in Kumar Para. They have sought the intervention of the government to save this ancient art of hundreds of years. Shukumar Pal, Susanta and Pal said that 55/60 families from the former men in this village used to make a living by making various utensils including earthenware pots, pots, jugs, vessels, maitha and thick rice-cloth. The use of their products near manufactured goods is disappearing day by day. Unemployment is increasing day by day along with the demand of the needy. Ripa Pal, an eighth grade student of Gaoghara Secondary School, daughter of Ajay Pal, told the autobiography of their family. He said that 4 members of a 5 member family are working day and night. Even then, the affluence of the family is not coming back. New clothes may not be included in the coming Durga Puja. The product that is produced by working all day and night, the father sells it in the market with great difficulty. Again at the price of soil. What is worship for us? Adi Pesatai is biting his father. If the government had paid attention, Adi would not have lost his job. Many people including Dumuria hybrid pal, shrimp shamal, Malmaliya Anil pal, Nikhil pal said that they have left this profession and have chosen different professions including nuts, boots, molasses, shop dari. No one wants to understand how useful the use of matte pot is. Taikhudara had to run in another profession. No one thinks about us.
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3.2 Threats to the transmission (if any)
3.3 Threat to associated tangible elements and resources (if any)
3.4 Viability of associated intangible elements (if any)
3.5 Safeguarding measures in place (if any)
4. Data gathering/documentation, Consent and preparation of inventory entries
4.1 Consent of community/group/individuals concerned for data collection with a view to inventorying
4.2 Restrictions, if any, on use of data collected
5. Resource Person
5.1 Persons/groups, including community representatives
5.2 Date(s) and place(s) of data gathering
Date : Place(s) :
6. Safeguarding techniques
6.1 Existing safeguarding techniques in the community for the safeguarding of the ICH element
6.2 Suggestions for safeguarding of the ICH element from the community
7. References to literature, discography, audiovisual materials or archives
7.1 References to/in literature
7.2 Audiovisual materials or archives
7.3 Discography or archives
8. Modalities for updating the information contained in the inventory entry
8.1 Persons/groups, including community representatives, who compiled the inventory entry
8.2 Consent of community/group/individuals concerned for data collection with a view to inventorying
8.3 Date of community consent to include the entry on an inventory
8.4 Present condition of the cultural element
9. Community suggestions
(a)Brief description of suggestions for safeguarding of the element by community members/experts/holders, if any
(b)Brief description of restrictions on use of data collected, if any