"Darpana" Large Wooden Mirror Lady On Pedestal

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In a leisurely posture conveyed through her stance, the wooden Darpana is engrossed in giving final touches to her otherworldly ornamentation. With a mirror in her right hand and her left hand on her head, the Darpana appears to be applying vermillion- a symbol of auspiciousness and feminine beauty in the parting of her sumptuously curling hair. Such sculptures of celestial beauties applying vermilion or sindoor have been popularized the world over through the art of Khajuraho temple, which is famous for its intricate and aesthetic wall carvings.

Owing to the masterful finish on the wood surface, the body of Darpana is endowed with a pleasing sandalwood shade, bringing to mind the fragrant sandalwood branches on which numerous serpents linger. Here, the clinging serpents are replaced by ornate jewelry pieces, which are carved in such a manner that they seem to be following the bodily contours of the remarkable Darpana.  A heaviness is felt in the appearance of the necklaces, ornate girdles, and other fineries that adorn the mirror lady in this wooden statue.

A discernible elegant musculature in the limbs of the Darpana is made possible by minor artistic additions to the wood statue- incised lines on the neck to convey natural folds, lines, and depth on the torso to highlight the curves of the waist, bumps on the legs in place of knee bones, and overall smoothness to present fleshiness of the female form. The best feature of the wooden mirror lady is undoubtedly her moon face, rounded and carved with such perfection, with lotus eyes, sharp nose, and fuller lips that the onlooker might gaze into her eyes a little longer in a hope that she might blink them any second.

A background element in Indian sculptures represents an extension of the characteristics and potencies of the subject. The wish-fulfilling creeper or Kalpa-Lata is a legendary object in Hinduism that, as the name suggests is believed to fulfill all kinds of aspirations. The parrots who are housed in the gentle twists of the creeper are connected to the Hindu god of Love- Kamadeva. Together, the wish-fulfilling creeper and the birds provide a fitting backdrop to the ethereal Darpana, whose with her awe-inspiring beauty is the personification of the Kalpa-Lata, acquiring which is bound to realize the desires of human senses.

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.

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.

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.

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.