Krishna Absorbed in Playing on his Flute: Dancing Radha Accompanies

$2335
Item Code: XK87
Specifications:
South Indian Temple Wood Carving
Height: 39 inch
Width: 23.5 inch
Depth: 5.5 inch
Weight: 23.75 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
This magnificently carved and brilliantly painted wood-statue, revealing gold-like lustre, rare in finish and quality of image, one of the finest examples of temple wood-carving, represents Krishna playing fully absorbed on his flute while Radha with a lotus in her right hand, and a pot, in left, standing close to him on his left. Offering wooden images of deities to a shrine has been one of the popular religious practices in South India prevalent now since long. Believing that finer the image it would better propitiate the enshrining deity the donors looked for more artistic sculptures which encouraged wood carvers to use the best of their talent not merely in discovering greater details and artistic merit of the image but also for discovering each time a new aspect of the illustrated myth. Thus, religion and art can be seen as joining hands in creating the great tradition of South Indian temple wood carving giving to the world beyond temples some of the finest art pieces and revealing many aspects of myths now otherwise completely forgotten. The statue is the most accomplished example of temple wood-carving rendered with an ornament-like precision and accuracy as well as great emotional fervour.

The figures of Radha and Krishna are rhythmically poised. As entwining along the melody emitting from his flute the figures of both Radha and Krishna seem to surge like waves, creating with their rise and fall highly delightful forms. Completely absorbed Krishna could not know when his left leg turned to right, and correspondingly his entire figure, the left knee, to further left, hips to right, shoulders to left and face to right. The melody seems to ring Radha’s being with far greater elasticity as in ecstatic dance and when completely moved and emotionally charged. A strange parallelism, perfectly aligning to Krishna’s body-posture Radha’s right leg has moved to left, hips, too far to left, the entire figure beyond belly : breasts and shoulders, to right sensuously inclining to Krishna’s figure, and a fully absorbed face to left : a pleasant geometry seeking to create the magic of diagonality. Known in Vaishnava iconography as ‘tri-bhang’ – three-curved, this posture of Krishna’s figure is the most celebrated form of his image, one enshrining the Banke-Bihari temple at Vrindavana, one of the four most venerated seats of Krishna’s Vaishnavism.

The figures of Radha and Krishna enshrine ‘prabhavali’ – fire-arch, a widely used element in South Indian divine iconography symbolising cosmos that the represented divinity pervades. The ‘prabhavali’ rises from a lotus base consisting of a pair of lotus mouldings : the lower one with a course of green inverted lotuses symbolic of fertility and thus of the earth, and upper one, a course of red upward lotuses symbolic of fire or energy, that is, the sky, a middle consisting of a course of stylized lotuses, and the rounded apex topped by a prominent Shrimukha motif symbolising supreme good. The figures of Radha and Krishna also have been carved pursuing South Indian iconographic models of Vaishnava images not merely in the style of costumes or ornaments but also in iconography and figural anatomy. Krishna has been modeled like Lord Vishnu in his proto form, and Radha, like his consort Lakshmi.

The figure of Krishna has been carved with Vishnu-like towering, styled and lavishly wrought crown, mark of Vaishnava ‘tilaka’ on his forehead, Vaijayanti on his breast and elaborate ornamentation, besides the moderate height of his figure, a rounded and little voluminous face and a strange stoicism coupled with emotional bearing. The statue of Radha, the cowherd maiden of Brij, reveals the same emotional fervour as should Radha mad in Krishna’s love, not the formalism of Lakshmi’s images, especially as reveals in her South Indian icons; however, the lotus in her right hand and pot in the left – both more characteristic to Lakshmi’s iconography, lavishly crested coiffure, majestic ornaments, large kundalas – ear-ornaments in particular, rich costume, vermilion paint in the hair-parting suggestive of her status as a wedded woman, and her well swelled breasts – the essence of the anatomy of Lakshmi, the universal mother who sustains and nourishes the entire cosmos, link her form to Lakshmi. As an art-piece, the statue is outstanding in plasticity, modeling, proportionate anatomy and aesthetic quality.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.

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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