Large Size The Kathakali Dancer

$1880
Item Code: EH75
Specifications:
South Indian Temple Wood CarvingArtist: R. Chellappan
Height: 2.9 ft
Width: 2 ft
Depth: 1 ft
Weight: 22 kg
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
Shipped to 153 countries
Shipped to 153 countries
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
The wood-statue, elegantly carved and tastefully painted to reveal great ethnicity and visual effects, represents a dancer’s figure performing Kathakali, the dance of Kerala. Exotic in its visual effects Kathakali, like Bharatanatyam, Kathaka, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Odissi, has its own distinction in the classical dances of India. Kathakali is essentially a masked dance performed in a conventionalised set of costumes, a large halo and a towering crown appended to the mask, a strange-looking half drum-like well starched rounded skirt with an equal diameter around the waist and ankles, a magnificent sash with bells-like knotted ends, beaded ornaments comprising beads of larger sizes and a Vaijayanti-like looking long garland usually made of twisted textile. Except that it is provided with peep-holes for eyes a typically designed mask with white whiskers, green face and a mark of Vaishnava ‘tilaka’ on the forehead covers the dancer’s face in entirety. As the tradition has it, the king of Kottayam one night dreamt of a man engaged in dancing wearing in typical set of costume. Taking it as a divine injunction he designed the Kathakali dancer’s costume as he had seen in his dream.

Kathakali is a combination of ‘nratya’ and ‘abhinaya’ – dance and dramatic interpretation of a theme which is usually a narration : a story; something denotative of what the term Kathakali literally means. Kathakali’s literal meaning is ‘story-play’, that is, revealing a story while performing on the stage, and performing to reveal the story while performing a dance. Initially Kathakali synthesised with the Aryan cult of dance the Dravidian worship cult of the Mother Goddess. In the course of time Kathakali began performing literary classics like the plays of Kalidasa, Bhasha and Harsha. Broadly, the stories enacted were taken from temple bards whose solo performances were known as ‘Prabandha-koothu’ – narrative tales, and their group performances, ‘Kudiyattam’. Kathakali was born of ‘Kudiyattam’. Around mid-seventeenth century, inspired by Jaideva’s Gita-Govinda there evolved ‘Krishnattam’ mandating the dancer to adorn like Krishna. By the end of the seventeenth century there spread the cult of Rama and like ‘Krishnattam’ there evolved ‘Ramattam’. Thus, ‘Kathakali’ in the process of its growth had these religious leanings, and hence a spiritual fervour as a result ‘Kathakali’s masks were cast either as Krishna or as Rama.

Thus, a blend of many forms, Kathakali is essentially a devotional dance. Here the dancer has been styled on strict Vaishnava line sharing features from Rama’s iconography. A single figure in solo dance form the sculpted dancer represents ‘Prabandha-Koothu’, Kathakali’s initial form. It does not incorporate even the mradanga-player, an almost essential accompaniment of Kathakali. Mradanga is a cylindrical long drum with narrow openings for leather-mounting associated with Kathakali since earliest times. In most dance-forms the dancer is seen translating the text recited along the dance in his ‘mudrayen’ – body-gestures. However, the Kathakali dancer does not do it. As in Krishnattam, Kathakali lets the singer deal exclusively with the text leaving the dancer free for choreographic interpretation. Kathakali is a finer expression for while most other dances have just twenty-four ‘mudrayen’, Kathakali has seven hundred. Facial expressions, mainly through the eyes trained to cast eight glances, are of cardinal significance in Kathakali.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.

Of Related Interest:

More Kathakali Art

The Art of Dancing

More Sculptures by the Same Artist


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Sculpting Serenity: Unveiling the Art of Crafting Wood Statues

Wood has been a preferred material for sculptures and statues since ancient times. It is easy to work with than most metals and stones and therefore requires less effort to shape it into any desired shape or form. The texture of the wood gives an element of realism to the sculpture. The selection of an appropriate wood type is necessary for carving. Woods that are too resinous or coniferous are not considered good for carving as their fiber is very soft and thus lacks strength. On the other hand, wood such as Mahogany, Oakwood, Walnut wood, Weet cherry wood, etc., are preferred by sculptors because their fiber is harder. A wood sculptor uses various tools such as a pointed chisel in one hand and a mallet in another to bring the wood to the desired measurement and to make intricate details on it. A carving knife is used to cut and smooth the wood. Other tools such as the gouge, V-tool, and coping saw also serve as important tools in wood carving. Although the wood carving technique is not as complex and tough as stone carving or metal sculpting, nonetheless, a wood carver requires a high level of skills and expertise to create a stunning sculpture.

1. Selecting the right wood

The process of wood carving begins with selecting a chunk of wood that is required according to the type and shape of the statue to be created by the sculptor. Both hardwoods and softwoods are used for making artistic pieces, however, hardwoods are preferred more than softer woods because of their durability and longevity. But if heavy detailing is to be done on the statue, wood with fine grain would be needed as it would be difficult to work with hardwood.
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2. Shaping the wood

Once the wood type is selected, the wood carver begins the general shaping process using gouges of various sizes. A gouge is a tool having a curved cutting edge which is useful in removing large unwanted portions of wood easily without splitting the wood. The sculptor always carves the wood across the grain of the wood and not against it.
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3. Adding detailing

When a refined shape of the statue is obtained, it is time for making details on the statue using different tools. This is achieved by using tools such as a veiner to make and a V-tool to create decorative and sharp cuts.
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4. Surface finishing

Once finer details have been added, the sculptor is ready to smoothen the surface and give it a perfect finish. Tools such as rasps and rifflers are used to get a smooth surface. The finer polishing is obtained by rubbing the surface with sandpaper. If a textured surface is required, this step is skipped. Finally, to protect the statue from excessive dirt accumulation, the sculptor applies natural oils such as walnut or linseed oil all over it. This also brings a natural sheen to the statue.
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How to care for Wood Statues?


Wood is extensively used in sculpting especially in countries like China, Germany, and Japan. One feature that makes the wood extremely suitable for making statues and sculptures is that it is light and can take very fine detail. It is easier for artists to work with wood than with other materials such as metal or stone. Both hardwoods, as well as softwood, are used for making sculptures. Wood is mainly used for indoor sculptures because it is not as durable as stone. Changes in weather cause wooden sculptures to split or be attacked by insects or fungus. The principal woods for making sculptures and statues are cedar, pine, walnut, oak, and mahogany. The most common technique that sculptors use to make sculptures out of wood is carving with a chisel and a mallet. Since wooden statues are prone to damage, fire, and rot, they require proper care and maintenance.

 

  • Wood tends to expand and contract even after it has been processed, thus it is always recommended to keep the wooden sculptures in rooms with little humidity. Excess moisture can harm your masterpiece.

 

  • Periodical dusting of the finished piece is necessary to maintain its beauty as dust accumulation on the surface takes away the shine of the sculpture. You can use a clean and soft cloth or a hairbrush for this purpose.

 

  • You must avoid applying any chemical-based solutions that may damage the wood from the inside. Instead, you can apply lemon oil or coconut oil using a cotton rag to the sculpture to bring out its natural shine. Lemon oil also helps to clean any stains on the sculpture.

 

  • Applying a layer of beeswax protects the wood from sun damage and hides even the smallest imperfections on the wood.

 

It is extremely important to preserve and protect wooden sculptures with proper care. A little carelessness and negligence can lead to their decay, resulting in losing all their beauty and strength. Therefore, a regular clean-up of the sculptures is a must to prolong their age and to maintain their shine and luster. 

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