Jyotiswarupa Saraswati

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Lotus was an essential feature of Brahma's iconography, and so were the book and 'japamala' – rosary. Obviously, Saraswati inherited these attributes from Brahma in view of her association with him, either as his daughter or spouse. But later, after she gained an independent status, lotuses, carried in her hands, were deleted, and the lotus-seat was sometimes replaced by a vehicle – swan, peacock, lion or ram; that is, instead of a mere divine presence, she was now an operative power. In texts, 'japamala' and text continued as parts of her form but in artistic innovations these too were sometimes excluded; she was even conceived, though very rarely, with normal two arms instead of her usual four. 'Vina', in her iconography, was not always a mere decorative element; she is often represented, as here in this statue, as playing on it – adding further thrust to her operative aspect.

The Vedas, Brahmans and Puranas perceive the goddess as 'parama jyotiswarupa', that is, as the one who has a form created out of the supreme Light – God. Some texts hence acclaim her as born of God's mouth. Hence, she is conceived with golden complexion, vigorous youth and rarest lustre. To her beauty adds her sitting posture, which is known in iconographic tradition as 'lalitasana' – a posture that reveals beauty of form. This 'lalitasana' posture, with her right leg suspending below her seat and the rest of her figure condensed vertically, not only keeps the viewing eye arrested to that part of her figure – face, belly, and of course the ornaments adorning them, which reveals her supreme beauty but also define her anatomical breadth.

Fully absorbed, the goddess is playing on her 'vina'. Though closed, there floats in her eyes a celestial 'bhava'. She has around her face a divine aura and a sense of unique quiescence. In anatomical proportions, facial features, and over-all composition, the statue is simply unique. The image has been consecrated on a double lotus placed on a 'pitha' consisting of two rows of conventionalised lotus motifs. She is in 'adhovastra'– apparel below waist, consisting of a green silk 'sari' and a sash suspending down to the lotus-'vedika'. She is wearing a richly bejeweled frilled girdle and large 'karnaphools', the ear-rings consisting of floral motifs. A Vaishnava 'tilaka' on her forehead and a towering crown on her head reveal south Indian effect. Various conventionalised ornaments often used in votive iconography adorn the figure of the goddess.

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.

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.