Subject Details

Chapter 2: Clay – Discusses the history of pottery which tells of the daily life of human beings, their death and burial, of human migration, trade and conquest, cultural practices and influences.

Chapter 3: Stone – Discusses the history of stone cutting, properties of stones and stone sculptures through ages.

Chapter 4: Metal – Discusses the history of metal craft and development of it under the patronage of the temple and royal court.

Chapter 6: Natural Fibres – Discusses the craft of extracting fibre from the natural products and their usage.

Chapter 8: Textiles – Discusses the art of textiles and handlooms. Also discusses about the different forms of fibres and techniques associated with it.

UPSC 2014: Consider the following towns of India:

1.  Bhadrachalam

2.  Chanderi

3.  Kancheepuram

4.  Karnal

Which of the above are famous for the production of traditional sarees/ fabric?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) 1, 3 and 4

Ans: b

 
Chapter 9: Paintings – Discusses the significance of paintings and how paintings act as a medium of expression of a mood, a reality as seen by the artist, a graphic interpretation of a philosophical idea, an invocation of blessings from the gods, etc.

UPSC 2015: Kalamkari painting refers to

(a) a hand-painted cotton textile in South India

(b) a handmade drawing on bamboo handicrafts in North-East India

(c) a block-painted woollen cloth in Western Himalayan region of India

(d) a hand-painted decorative silk cloth in North-Western India

Ans: a

 
Chapter 10: Theatre crafts – Discusses the history and tradition of puppet and theatre alongwith the classification of musical instruments. 

Note: Other Chapters in the book are: Learning about Crafts, Jewellery and Paper Crafts. Though these topics are not asked in UPSC but chapters have been included in the pdf.