Terracotta Horse Bankura Bishnupur West Bengal

The Bankura horse is an iconic terracotta figurine produced by the Kumbhakar (potter) community of Panchmura village in Bankura district, West Bengal. The stylised horse with elongated neck, pricked ears, and proportioned body was originally a votive offering to tribal deities. Bankura horse figurines are made by hand-modeling and coil-building clay from the local laterite soil, surface-smoothed and decorated with incised geometric patterns, and fired in wood-burning kilns. The GI tag recognises Bankura as the origin of this distinct horse form. The Bishnupur region also produces temple panels and narrative frieze plaques in terracotta depicting episodes from the Ramayana and Krishna legends, as seen on the famous Bishnupur temples. West Bengal Craft Development Corporation provides clay and kiln fuel support and handles national emporium sales.