Twelve-armed Ganesha Engaged in Dance

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The statue is a brilliant synthesis of two traditions, the scriptural of the mainland in regard to the form of the deity, and the iconographic, as these evolved in Himalayan hill region, Tibet and Nepal in particular. Scripturally the statue represents the Maha Ganapati form of Lord Ganesha who has been perceived as three-eyed and multi-armed holding primarily the pot of gems representing the most invaluable of possessions, and the disc or ‘vajra’ – thunderbolt, the symbol of unfailing might. As prescribed, the figure of the elephant god has been conceived with three eyes and twelve arms of which the normal two hold in them the ‘vajra’ and a bowl symbolic of the bowl filled with gems. Broken tusk, bow and arrow, mace, paddy sprig … are other attributes that Lord Ganesha is perceived as carrying in his Maha Ganapati form. Maha Ganapati is seen as holding on his thigh one of his Shaktis. On one hand Shaktis of Lord Ganesha are symbolic of his inherent energies, and on the other, perceived as his consorts, of his enjoyment. The statue seems to have alternated Shakti with dance, as in the case of Ganesha dance is only the other form of energy which wind-like whirls his figure, and thus the cosmos, which manifests in his form, and is also the source of his delight.

The idiom of iconography : facial features, dimension of trunk turned to right, not to left – the usual form in Maha Ganapati iconography, form of eyes, protruding forehead, overall anatomy, plasticity and figure’s modeling, style of costume : especially the long pleated and coiled sash with ends unfurling on sides like clouds in the sky, ornaments : the three-crested crown symbolic of ‘tri-ratnas’ Buddhist motif in particular, attributes, and the character of subordinate parts : ‘prabhavali’ – fire-arch, and pedestal etc., are, however, somewhat foreign to this scriptural tradition. In them reflects the character of Tibetan-Nepalese Buddhist and Hindu icons. The stylised lotus motifs with the pearl-like elevated middle defining the circular edge of the pedestal are typical of Tibetan images. The plant-form conceived like a Himalayan fern grown around a conch-motif ringing along the fire-arch, and the form of the fire-arch conceived like a ‘chaitya’-window, are characteristically Buddhist and belong to the iconographic traditions of the Tibetan and trans-Himalayan region. The attributes that the figure holds are usual but most of them differently styled.

The statue represents Lord Ganesha dancing fully absorbed, a state of being that reflects mirror-like on his face. He has his left leg fixed on the back of his mount mouse, and right, lifted and flung into the space, and correspondingly swing his hands, the normal two with greater fervour. Besides the ‘vajra’ and the bowl of gems held in normal two hands, he is carrying in the five right ones battle-axe, trident with thunderbolt handle, sword with multi-bladed apex, mace or club, and arrow; and in those on the left, broken tusk styled like a missile, spear-cum-mace, lamp-like modeled bowl : a new element not seen the iconography of Ganesha, ‘danda’ – band crowned with human heads on its top, and bow. By any parameters the statue is a piece of great art transcending scale of time and barriers of geography.

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.

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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.