Rock art and painted pottery
Long before writing, people painted on rock walls and shelters. Their pictures show animals, hunters, dancers and hands. In India, the rock shelters of Bhimbetka have thousands of paintings. In Europe, the caves at Lascaux in France have large animals painted about 17,000 years ago.
Why did they paint? Nobody knows for sure. Likely reasons: to tell stories, to keep a record, to ask for a good hunt, and to share with the group.
How did they paint? They ground natural colours: red and yellow from iron-rich earth (ochre), black from charcoal, and white from chalk. They mixed them with fat, water or plant juice, and used fingers, sticks and pads of fur.
Painted pottery began when people learned to make clay pots for storing food and water. They painted bands, waves, dots and zigzags on them. Painted pots from early farming villages in India, China and many other places show that people wanted useful things to look beautiful too. A repeated band makes a pattern and a rhythm.
Environment and product design
Product design means planning the shape, size, material and look of an everyday thing so that it works well and looks good.
Look at three clay or glass vessels:
- Bowl: wide mouth, so you can scoop or stir.
- Cup: straight wall and a handle, so you can hold something hot.
- Jug: a spout and a handle, so you can pour without spilling.
This idea is "form follows function": the use decides the shape.
Environment also shapes design. People use what is near them: clay in river valleys, bamboo in wet forests, wood in cold lands. They also design for the climate: wide roofs in rainy places, thick walls in hot deserts.
Good design today also asks: can it be reused, mended or recycled? Less waste is part of good design.
Seasons and plant symbols
In many cultures artists use a plant to stand for a season. A plant becomes a symbol: a picture that means more than itself.
- Spring: plum blossom, which opens while it is still cold. It stands for hope. In India, yellow mustard flowers and Basant Panchami colour the spring.
- Summer: the lotus, which rises clean from muddy water. It stands for purity.
- Autumn: the chrysanthemum, which blooms when the air turns cool. It stands for a calm, strong spirit.
- Winter: the pine, which stays green in snow. It stands for strength and long life.
The symbols change from place to place. In India, the six seasons (ritu) have their own flowers, poems and songs. The idea is the same: nature gives art its calendar.
Festival arts
Festival art is made by many people together, for a shared celebration. It is short-lived, bright and full of meaning.
- Lights: paper lanterns at lantern festivals, clay lamps (diya) at Diwali.
- Floor art: rangoli, kolam and pookalam made with coloured powder or flowers.
- Cut and fold: paper cuts and paper lanterns.
- Colour and costume: Holi colours, masks and dance costumes.
Festival art uses the elements you know: colour, line, pattern and repeated shapes. It also joins people together, because families make it together and share it with the street.
Try it
In the 3D: add 4 animals to the rock, then guess how many pot bands look best (3? 5?). Try all three vessels and say the job of each.
At home: (1) Make a natural paint from turmeric, beetroot juice or charcoal and paint an animal on a stone or paper. (2) Draw a pot and decorate it with a band pattern that repeats. (3) Choose a symbol for your favourite season and draw it.
Key formulas and definitions
- Key term: rock art = pictures painted or carved on rock
- Key term: symbol = a picture that stands for an idea
- Design idea: form follows function (the use decides the shape)
- Key term: festival art = shared, short-lived art made for a celebration
Worked examples
1. Why do cups usually have handles but bowls do not?
A cup holds hot drinks, so a handle keeps your fingers away from the heat. A bowl is held with two hands or rests on a table, and a handle would get in the way of scooping.
2. Which natural material gives red colour in rock paintings, and which gives black?
Red comes from iron-rich earth called ochre. Black comes from charcoal.
3. A designer is making a water jug for a school. List two design choices that suit the job.
A spout for neat pouring and a handle for a safe grip. A wide base keeps it from tipping, and an easy-to-clean material keeps the water safe.
4. Why does the lotus stand for summer and purity in many pictures?
It grows in muddy water but its flower comes up clean and bright. People take this as a sign of purity.
Common mistakes
- Thinking old rock paintings were "just doodles". They were made with great care and carry stories and records.
- Saying a design must be fancy. Good design first has to work well for its job.
- Treating a symbol as the same in every culture. A plant may mean different things in different places.
- Believing festival art has no skill because it is short-lived. It needs planning, pattern and team work.