Paper Short Abstract:

This paper would try to understand pottery making as a visual art of the indigenous potter communities of Assam and the storytelling by the potters through their earthenwares.

Paper Abstract:

Pottery is a tangible material culture. It is regarded to be the mirror of a society. Pottery making tradition in the northeastern region of India has been traced back to the Neolithic period as attested in the stratified context at Daojali Hading in North Cachar hills of Assam. Numerous techniques including paddle and anvil, coil building and mat impressed were used to prepare the earthenwares, which continued through the later periods as well until today. Pottery making also reflected the stories of the community which is basically an intangible aspect of the art. Two distinct indigenous potter communities, namely Hira and Kumar, are present in Assam. Numerous stories are told through this art by the potter communities to the society reflecting their traditional beliefs and rituals. With the help of ethnography, this paper is a humble attempt to understand this storytelling of the indigenous potters of Assam.