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Who Sacrificed It All....

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Name: Who Sacrificed It All....
Brand: Exotic India
SKU: XO68
Price: 770.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$770

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Item Code:	XO68
Specifications:	Copper Sculpture Gilded with 24 Karat Gold
Height:	13 inch
Width:	8.2 inch
Depth:	7 inch
Weight:	3.35 kg

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Who Sacrificed It All.... This majestic smiling Buddha is a tribute to the exceptional artistic merit of a particular ethnic community of the Kathmandu Valley named the Newars. The Newari people have been creating masterpieces of Buddhist art since ages. For statues, they first cast the metal using the laborious and difficult lost-wax technique, and then deftly chisel out the features from the tough metal by hand. Finally, they lovingly gild and paint their statues with 24 karat gold.

This statue of the Buddha is exceptional in not only radiating out an intense spiritual presence, but also in the actual treatment of the subject. Here he is seated on a blooming lotus, below whose projecting petals is a golden band decorated with scrolling designs. He wears a flowing monastic robe bordered in gold, which covers both the shoulders. This dark colored robe has a chequered design interspersed with eight large golden circles, four in the front and four at the back. Inside each of these circles is inscribed one of the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism collectively known as ‘Ashtamangala’. These eight symbols (Tib. bkra shis rtags brgyad) are:

1). A Conch Shell

2). A Lotus

3). A Wheel

4). A Parasol (Umbrella)

5). An Endless Knot

6). A Pair of Golden Fishes

7). A Banner Proclaiming Victory

8). A Treasure Vase

However it is undoubtedly the Buddha’s face which is the most evocative part of this composition. The charming red lips, the typically Nepalese colored eyes, perfect bow-like arched brows, the curly hair with coils like curled snails and the perfect bone structure all make it difficult to take our eyes away from the mesmerizing face.

Not only abounding in physical beauty, the Buddha’s face is also amply animated with spiritually symbolic features. For example, the curving lines on his neck imply the sweetness of his speech in spreading the teachings of Dharma. The dot on his forehead and the protrusion at the top of the head are signs of ultimate wisdom. The elongated earlobes remind us that he was once a prosperous prince prone to wearing heavy jewelry, but who sacrificed it all on the path of spirituality.

This sculpture has been cast in the round with the fine craftsmanship continuing to the back. On the reverse can also be seen inscribed the most sacred mantra of Buddhism: OM MANI PADME HUM (see accompanying image).

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.