Body of a figurine with a movable head and tail from Harappa
Another figurine that may have been used as a toy is the quadruped, probably a bovine, with a movable head and tail.
Slides by Richard H. Meadow, Project Director of HARP (Harappa Archaeological Research Project). His excavations focus on the ancient Indus Valley sites in Pakistan including Balakot near Karachi, Mehrgarh in Baluchistan, and Harappa since 1995.
Movable head of a bovine figurine from Harappa
The movable heads of figurines often depict cattle. They are usually pierced laterally through the neck and vertically or sagittally through the head in order to secure them to the bodies and control them with a cord.
Approximate dimensions (W x
Bodies of two figurines with neck shafts from Harappa
A different style of quadruped body has a vertical neck shaft for attaching and possibly changing the (separate) head. Figurine heads with this type of neck shaft include the markhor heads discussed earlier (see image #40).
Approximate dimensions (W
Wheeled zebu figurine from Harappa
A small subset of the figurines from Harappa originally had wheels. Of the many small terracotta wheels found at Harappa, at least some must have been intended for these wheeled objects.
Wheeled ram figurine from Harappa
One type of wheeled figurine has lateral holes for the axles through the ends of the legs.
Approximate dimensions (W x H(L) x D): 3.6 x 11.0 x 7.5 cm.
Mask/amulet from Harappa
Loosely included under the rubric of terracotta "figurines" are the terracotta masks found at some Harappan sites. One mask clearly has a feline face with an open mouth with exposed fangs, a beard, small round ears and upright bovine horns.
Attachable water buffalo horns from Harappa
The appropriation of animal attributes can be accomplished through such paraphernalia as masks/amulets and other objects that can be attached to a costume.
Two composite anthropomorphic / animal figurines from Harappa
Whether or not the masks/amulets and attachable water buffalo horns were used in magic or other rituals, unusual and composite animals and anthropomorphic/animal beings were clearly a part of Indus ideology.