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Embodying Indus Life

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. Several large terracotta water buffalo horns with incised lines on the horns have been found at Harappa. Some are broken in the center or have the ends missing, but most have holes through the horns, often near the center, allowing them to be attached to something and possibly worn. These might have been used in magic or ritual transformation in Indus society, or they may have been worn as symbols of authority like the horned headdresses depicted on figures in the iconography of Indus seals and tablets.

Approximate dimensions (W x H(L) x D): 11.9 x 3.3 x 2.2 cm.

Animal Figurines
Water Buffalo
Horns
Harappa
Photograph
Richard H. Meadow
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