There has been a close relation between man and clay since ancient time. The use of clay was so much in that period that whole life of a person revolved around clay. Since, metal was not invented almost everything was made of clay. Potter’s wheel served as the key equipment for making things out of clay. Potters used to make toys, pots, pitchers, earthen lamps, clay stoves (chulhas), etc. Clay was also used in making utensils to store grains, milk, curd and buttermilk. Most of the kitchen wares were made up of clay.

Mixture of clay and cow-dung was also used to plaster the walls of the houses and making kubans (huts). Evidence of red coloured clay utensils of ancient period has been found in Lothal, Mohen-jodaro and Harappa. We can also see use of clay items like pots for storing water and ‘garba’ (pitcher) having holes containing earthen lamp inside) in Navratri. Ancient India was quite well-known for producing utensils of unbaked and baked clay i.e. terracotta. Evidence of ancient handmade terracotta utensils were found at Nagaijuna kaunda in South India and Laghnaj in Mehsana district. Thus, India’s clay work is extremely ancient and still practised widely.