Status of Craft-production, guild and trade during the Gupta Empire.

The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire existing from the mid-to-late 3rd century CE to
543 CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 543 CE, it covered much of the Indian
subcontinent. This period is considered as the Golden Age of India.

Fig- Approximate extent of the Gupta territories (purple) in 375 CE

The Gupta period is generally regarded as a classic peak of North Indian art and crafts for all the
major religious groups. Although painting was evidently widespread, the surviving works are
almost all religious sculpture. The period saw the emergence of the iconic carved stone deity in
Hindu art, as well as the Buddha-figure and Jain tirthankara figures, the latter often on a very
large scale. The two great centres of sculpture were Mathura and Gandhara, the latter the centre
of Greco-Buddhist art. Both exported sculpture to other parts of northern India.

Painting of Padmapani Cave 1 at Ajanta Buddha from Sarnath, 5–6th century CE

 Vishnu reclining on the serpent Shesha (Ananta), Dashavatara Temple 5th century

In the arts and crafts there was a unique development. Some of the major craftsmanship during
that era were- dancing, playing on musical instruments, decorations , anties , jugglery, magic,
etc. distillation of wines and spiritual liquors from flowers etc cooking confectionery,
pharmaceutical preparations, analysis and synthesis of metals, alloys, salt industry, polishing
stone, wood and metal vessels, watch and clock industry dying , rope industry, weaving,
preparation of artificial gold and gems enamelling of metals, tailoring oil industry, i.e., extracting
oil from seeds and fats industry glass industry, iron implements and tools nursing pumping and
withdrawing of water and Leather industry which was known in its two processes —the flaying
of the skin and the softening of the hide or tanning .A large number of arts and crafts were
among the King’s servants and attendants there should be musicians, poets, guards of honour,
artisan artists, fools, ventriloquists, dancers and harlequins, those who construct parks, artificial
forests and pleasure-gardens, builders of forts, gunners those who make lighter machines, gun-
powder, arrows cannon balls and swords and construct various tools and implements, arms,
weapons, bows, quivers etc. those who prepare ornaments of gold’s, jewels etc., builders of
chariots, stone-cutters, block-smiths and those who enamel metals, potters, copper smiths,
carpenters, road-mares barbers, washers, and those who carry nights oil, messengers, tailors, add
bearers of royal emblems and ensigns, weavers, those who prepare fragrant resins, sailors,
miners, fowlers and repairers of implements.

Pearl fishery was undoubtedly a very flourishing industry in this period and it was
carried on throughout the Indian Ocean as far as the Persian Gulf. The Gupta artists and
craftsmen were no less capable in the working of metals. Sutra enumerates the metals in order of
their value, thus—gold, silver, copper, zine, tin and iron. Bronze is the alloy of zinc and copper,
brass of copper and tin. Gupta empire used a large amount of ships for commercial purposes as
well as for naval warfare. The ships were designed as the head of the shape of lions, tigers,
elephant etc decorated with gold, silver, copper, the compound of these three, pearls and garland
of gold.

Coins used during Gupta Empire for trade purposes

 A typical idol of Buddha build with the metals during the Gupta empire that shows the
craftmanship during the Gupta rules.

A gold hair ring used during the Gupta empire shows the jewellery culture during their reign

Pots used during the Gupta period

Ships used for maritime purposes as well as for naval warfare during the gupta empire that shows
metal craftmanship onto them.