Terracotta art was practised in Bengal from the beginning through early medieval to medieval times and even persisted on Hindu monuments till the mid-19th century. The art is noticed in forms like clay figurines and sculptures, but the most notable ones are the plaques. Terracotta panels and friezes, used as surface decoration on buildings, are Bengal's remarkable contributions to the sum-total of South Asian art.

Terracotta Plaques were partly moulded and partly hand modelled. Main purpose of these plaques in the early period was to decorate the walls of the temples and to break monotony of the emptiness of the temple walls. They also served as sources of instructions and recreations for the pilgrims.
As handcrafted ethnic products began to gain popularity, artists started to make ritualistic objects like horses with pointed ears and elephants as decorative pieces. Apart from animals, they also make costume jewellery, wall decors, utility items like pen holder, bowls, ash trays etc.