Early Harappan Terracotta Dove Figurine

Kot Diji Phase, c. 2800–2600 BC, Sindh, Pakistan

A rare and captivating terracotta bird figurine from the Kot Diji phase of the Early Harappan period, hand-molded in fine red-buff clay. Likely depicting a dove, the figure features a long neck, short tail, slit eyes, and small outstretched wings, with stylized flattened feet—now chipped. Despite its modest size, the piece is full of charm and character, reflecting the artistry of one of the world’s earliest urban civilizations.

Terracotta animal figurines were produced in abundance at Harappa, with birds being a particularly common theme. Doves, parakeets, ducks, peacocks, and sparrows appear frequently, sometimes fashioned as toy whistles (ghughu, “toy dove”) or as votive offerings. Their simplified forms and incised details hint at both everyday life and symbolic meaning—suggesting roles as children’s toys, amulets, or ritual objects.

Compact, tactile, and timeless, this figurine embodies the delicate balance of function, symbolism, and artistry that defines Harappan craftsmanship. A rare and evocative survival from the dawn of South Asian civilization.

Good condition. Light surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, nicks and chip. Encrusted earthen deposits throughout. Size approx. 5,2cm x 4,0cm x 3,9cm.

Provenance: From the estate of Professor Tore Arnborg (1912–2007), a senior United Nations official who served as head of the FAO in West and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Acquired abroad and brought to Sweden in the 1960s.

References and further reading: 

Excavations at Harappa: Being an account of archaeological excavations at Harappa carried out between the years 1920-21 and 1933-34, Madho Sarup Vats, Volume I - Text; Volume II - 139 Plates., p. 301, Bhartiya Publishing House, Varanasi, 1940.

The Pakistani Collection of Terracotta Figurines in the British Museum,  Irfanullah, Fazal Sher and Amjad Pervaiz, Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan Heritage 9, 2017.

Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, Oxford University Press, 1998.

Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum, J. C. Harle and Andrew Topsfield, Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1987, no. 6 on p. 6, illus. p. 6.  

Early Indian art at the Ashmolean Museum - Catalogue in progress, Ahuja Naman, 2016, n. 29.1