Garuda 'the devourer' is the mythical 'Lord of birds' in both the Hindu and
Buddhist traditions. In the Hindu Puranic legends,
Garuda is the son of Kashyapa and Vinata. He is said to have emerged, fully grown, from an egg, after incubating for five hundred years.
Garuda has always been the sworn enemy of snakes and nagas. The archetypal legend of the enmity that exists between birds of prey and serpents occurs across a wide spectrum of transcultural mythologies. Such birds include the Sumerian and Greek eagle, the poison-transmuting peacock of Persia and India, the Chinese peng-niao, and the gigantic snake-eating simurgh or rukh of Sinbad's adventures in Arabian nights.
Literally, the word Garuda means 'wings of speech'. He actually personifies Vedic knowledge. On his wings,as it were, Vedic knowledge has come down to us. He is also known as Suparna (beautiful wings), Garutman (the solar bird), Sarparati (enemy of serpents), and Khageshvara or Pakshiraj (Lord of birds). The female bird is known as Garudi.
Originally the Indian Garuda was represented as a bird. Later his form assumed that of a 'bird man'- a creature half eagle and half man, combining a human body with a bird's head, beak, and wings. Zoomorphic variations of the Garuda's artistic representation diffused throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, and South East Asia. In Bali his animalistic image assumed great popularity.
In Tibet, the Indian Garuda became assimilated with the Bon khading (Tib. mkha'lding), the golden 'horned eagle', king of birds, and the Bon bird of fire. Tibetan iconography depicts Garuda with the upper torso and arms of a man, the head, beak and legs of a bird, and large wings which unfold from his back. His curved beak is like that of an eagle. The hair on his head blazes upwards, and his eyebrows twist like fire.
Garuda is commonly evoked to ward off snakes and snakebites. Here he is shown holding two of them in his hands.
This description by Nitin Kumar, Executive Editor, Exotic India.
References:
Beer, Robert. The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1999.
Harshananda, Swami. Hindu Gods and Goddesses: Madras, Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1987.
How are Nepalese copper statues made?
Nepalese statues and sculptures are best known for their unique
small religious figures and ritual paraphernalia for over two
thousand years. These are mainly cast in copper alloy. Nepal draws
influences from the artistic styles of Buddhism and Hinduism, and
therefore the sculptors of the country specialize in making the
icons of both these religions. Over the years, Nepalese sculptures
evolved into their own distinctive iconography. Some
characteristic features of these sculptures that differ from other
pieces are exaggerated physical postures, youthful and sensual
features, languid eyes, wider faces having serene expressions, and
ornate flourishes. The Buddhist deity icons of Nepal have
tremendous demand in countries such as China and Tibet for ritual
purposes in their temples and monasteries.
Nepalese statues and sculptures have a high copper content and
therefore develop a slightly reddish patina on the surface as they
age. However, the most unique feature of Nepalese copper statues
is their decorative detailing. The pieces are heavily gilded and
sometimes inlaid with semi-precious stones. This embellishment
protects them from getting tarnished. The traditional lost-wax
method for casting Nepalese copper statues remains the most
practiced technique in Nepal for many centuries. This process
involves many steps and requires skilled artists.
The first step in lost-wax sculpting is to make a wax replica of
the desired Buddhist deity to be cast in copper. This replica is
created by hand and therefore needs excellent artistic skills
otherwise fine features will be lacking.
Once the wax replica is made, it is then coated with a special
mixture of clay with a brush. This layer of clay is hardened when
left to dry. A small hole is made on the base of the wax mould so
that the wax flows away when it is heated.
At this stage, a hollow mould in the shape of the deity is
obtained.
This is the time to pour liquid copper into the hollow mould which
is then allowed to cool and harden inside a container of cold
water. When the liquid metal has hardened, the mould is removed
and the statue within is revealed.
The artist works on the details of the statue using various tools.
It is then polished to get a shiny and lustrous surface.
Now comes the most important part of Nepalese art which is gold
gilding. This is done by the traditional fire gilding method. A
mixture of mercury and 18K gold is applied on the surface of the
statue and heat is applied using a flame torch. The result is that
mercury evaporates along with impurities, leaving a pure 24K gold
finish.
The lost-wax method of sculpting is the most preferred technique
for artists to cast a metallic statue having intricate details.
Since Nepalese copper sculptures require extraneous effort for
giving a majestic look by adding special embellishments, it takes
several weeks to complete one masterpiece. A 24K gold gilded
copper sculpture retains its brilliant luster for many years and
appears as like before. Nepalese sculptures continue to remain one of the finest specimens of the art of the East that have a strong
aesthetic appeal that other sculptures cannot match.
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