After many decades of research, the Indus Civilization is still something of an enigma -- an ancient civilization with a writing system that still awaits convincing decipherment, monumental architecture whose function still eludes us, no monumental … >

Although most Indus Civilization female figurines are quite curvaceous, some "fat" female figurines are also found. These are often hollow, but sometimes solid. Like other Indus female figurines, some of these "fat" figurines are holding infants at … >

The earliest anthropomorphic figurines from Harappa thus far are from the Early Harappan (Ravi Phase, Period 1, and Kot Diji Phase, Period 2) levels. Among these are stylized seated female figurines with exaggerated buttocks and thighs and joined le… >

The infants being nursed by female figurines are usually very schematically represented by a bent and pinched roll of clay with or without applied eyes. The head, body, and legs of the infant are usually pressed against the female’s breast and torso… >

Another style of Early Harappan female figurine holds a round object, possibly a vessel, with both hands at the waist above a flaring lower body which ends in a (broken) forward-extending base. The hair is bound at the back of the head into a tiered… >

The female figurine usually holds the infant's head to her breast with one or both arms encircling the infant. Approximate dimensions (W x H x D): 3.2 x 8.4 x 1.9 cm. >

At the peak of the Indus Civilization or the Harappan Period (Period 3), the most common dress for female figurines was the belt and/or short skirt usually situated at the same point on the hips as the figurine’s hands. The fan-shaped headdress was … >

Three terracotta figurines, female. All broken. A field number ending in 708 is marked on the head-dress of the one on the left, of which only the bust remains. >

Many of the fan-shaped headdresses were painted black. While the headdress may have been worn as a symbol of distinction, it has been suggested that this type of headdress actually represents black hair stretched over a frame made of bamboo or some … >

These two photographs are of two terracotta figurines, on the left is a female figurine with a scrolled headdress, and on the right is a humped bull with broken horns. In the first image (ASI no. 416/86) the human head on the left is upside down, an… >