Sculpture

Only a handful of stone sculptures have been recovered from Indus settlements, particularly Mohenjo-daro; most are of limestone though one is of alabaster. Some are unfinished and most are broken. These are all quite small: The famous Priest-king torso, for example, is only 17. 5 centimeters high. The usual subject of these sculptures is a half-kneeling male figure wearing a robe that leaves the right shoulder exposed. Where the head survives, the figures have almond eyes, widely spaced parallel lines on the chin representing a

The “Priest-king,” the finest piece of Harappan statuary, was found at Mohenjo-daro. Though broken, it may originally have been a seated figure. Faint traces show that the trefoils on the figure’s robe were originally filled with red pigment. The back of the head is cut away to form a flat surface where an elaborate headdress may have been mounted. (J. M. Kenoyer, Courtesy Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan)

Beard, and braided or wavy lines showing the hair, short or in a bun, held in place by a headband. The finest example is the Priest-king, a calm, austere figure. The sculptures vary in quality and, although the posture is generally the same, the individuals' features and expressions all differ, perhaps suggesting that they were portraits of real people rather than images of idealized kings or divinities.

Two small incomplete sculptures from Harappa, in contrast, depict a naked male, carved in an extremely naturalistic style very different in feel from other Harappan art. It is thought possible that one (a red jasper torso) or both may be intrusive pieces of considerably later date. One, of dark stone, is clearly dancing, though only his torso and part of one leg, outstretched in front, survive. The other, of red jasper, broken off at the top of the legs, also appears to be slightly in motion. Both have dowel holes for the attachment of separate head and arms.

A recently discovered small wig, carved from black steatite, presumably formed part of a figurine, perhaps made of another type of stone or of wood.

Bronze sculptures are even rarer than those of stone. The best-known is the charming bronze figure from Mohenjo-daro known as the Dancing-girl, an extremely thin, unnaturally tall young woman with her hair in a bun, clad only in an armful of bangles and a small necklace. Her left hand holds something, while her right hand rests on her hip, and she is standing in a relaxed pose very true to life. Another figure with the same compositional features is far less convincing; she stands stiff legged with none of the insouciance of the Dancing-girl and has been humorously dubbed the Ugly Sister by Shereen Ratnagar.

The sculptures of animals also vary in artistic merit. An exquisite miniature model of a water buffalo tossing its head is extremely naturalistic, as is a beautiful stone ram, and a moufflon (probably Harappan though unprovenanced) is also skillfully modeled. In contrast, the composite beast from Mohenjo-daro, still integral with its plinth, is heavy and lifeless. Two other animals from Mohenjo-daro are also poorly defined and could be rams or bulls.