Terracotta as Heritage Evidence: Legibility, Surface Loss and Conservation Intervention across Islamic and Hindu Monuments in Bagerhat, Bangladesh

Abstract

Terracotta ornamentation forms an essential element of the architectural history of Bagerhat, but its perceptibility is compromised due to factors like surface deterioration, decay of materials, disjunctions, repairs and restorations. This study aims to analyze the manner in which terracotta and molded brick ornamentation is arranged, decayed, and perceived in four monuments in Bagerhat, such as Kodla Moth (Ayodhya Moth), Sixty Dome Mosque, Nine Dome Mosque and Singair Mosque. Adopting a qualitative comparative visual methodology, this study investigates a collection of 49 field images from the viewpoint of motif, position within architecture, repetition, visual decay and legibility of ornamentation at four scales – unit, border, field and elevation. The observations made from the site of Kodla Moth were further supplemented with interviews conducted with five artisans and conservators. It is evident that while the sites of the three mosques share a common vocabulary of ornamentation, the use of the vocabulary within the architecture is different: ornamentation in the mosques is selectively used on elements such as entrances, fields, cornices, and other points of focus, whereas the site of Kodla Moth uses a repetition of the ornamentation on its tower-like structure. As regards Kodla Moth, the continued efforts at conservation highlight the visual differences between the weathered historic fabric and the new decorative components, posing issues relating to their compatibility and authenticity. This work proves that repeatable and systematic photography at various scales can document both the state of the ornaments and the conservation effort, without confounding the two observations.