Bankura horse (Bengali: বাঁকুড়ার ঘোড়া) is the terracotta horse, produced in Panchmura village in Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It has been praised for “its elegant stance and unique abstraction of basic values.” Originally used for village rituals, it now adorns drawing rooms across the world as symbols of Indian folk-art. It is the logo of All India Handicrafts.

Terracotta or clay craft has been the symbol of man's first attempt at craftsmanship, just as the potter’s wheel was the first machine invented to use the power of motion for a productive purpose. For many years, civilizations have been dated and assessed by the degree of skill and beauty displayed by the earthenware found in excavations. Because of its universal appeal pottery has often been termed as the lyric of handicrafts. However, its association with religious rituals has imbibed it with deeper significance. In India, terracotta traditions are found from the earliest times. The outskirts of many an Indian village, has a pipal tree with terracotta animal figures lying underneath it. They are symbols of fulfillment of aspirations of village folk. In order to cater to the commercial requirements of the modern global market, the village potter is often combining the traditional rural abstractions with refined urban tastes to show pieces of terracotta art.

Bankura (Bengali: বাঁকুড়া) is a city and a municipality in Bankura District in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bankura District.

In the Mahabharata, Bankura was described as Suhmobhumi. The word Larh or Rarh (in nagari: rāḍh) was introduced after 6th century A.D. It comes from the old Austric word ráŕhá or ráŕho which means “land of red soil”; it is worth noting that in ancient times "China called Ráŕh by the name of “Láti”". In Santali, lar means thread, rarh means tune and larh means snake. Perhaps the Jain and Greek scholars used this original Austric word Larh to indicate this dry forest region which was very difficult to access that time. The popularity of Manasa Puja, the worship of Snake-Goddess Manasa, proves this opinion might have some relevance. According to Nilkantha, a famous commentator of the Mahabharata, both the words Suhmo[bhumi] (sanskrit: suhma-bhūmi) and Rarh, are synonymous.

Scholars differs in their opinion about the etymology of the name Bankura. In the words of the Kol-Mundas, orah or rah means habitation. Many places of Rarh are named with the an added rah at the end of the name. One of the most influential God of the district Dharmathakur is called Bankura Roy. The name of the district may come from his name. Linguist Suniti Kumar Chatterjee thinks that the name came from the word Banka (zig-zag), and its word-corruption Banku, which means extremely beautiful, and he who must be worshiped. In 1979, the word “Bancoorah” was found in the map of Renal. In 1863, Gastrel referred this region as Bancoonda.