Terracotta

Terracotta Art of India

Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous.
 

In archaeology and art history, "terracotta" is often used to describe objects such as figurines not made on a potter's wheel. Glazed architectural terracotta and its unglazed version as exterior surfaces for buildings were used in East Asia for some centuries before becoming popular in the West in the 19th century. Architectural terracotta can also refer to decorated ceramic elements such as antefixes and revetments, which made a large contribution to the appearance of temples and other buildings in the classical architecture of Europe, as well as in the Ancient Near East.