This image is of the
dakini Vajrayogini in her form as Naro Khajoma. A dakini is the most important female principle, representing the ever-changing flow of female energy. In Tantric Buddhism, dakinis are the guardians of teachings and are considered the supreme embodiment of wisdom. The dakini can help change human weaknesses into wisdom and understanding, or the concept of self into enlightened energy.
There are two kinds of dakinis-supramundane, or "beyond-wordly," ones and mundane, or "worldly," ones usually referred to as yoginis in real life. Dakinis or yoginis are often mystical partners of yogis, to whom they give secret wisdom and magical powers. The practitioner strives to reach Buddhahood through the help of his lama, or teacher; his yidam, or meditational deity; and his dakini.
Here Vajrayogini is shown with three eyes and in her typical dancing posture; she is half standing on her knee on a plain platform and her left leg is stretched out touching her left arm. Her right hand holds a vajra chopper, while her left hand holds a skull cup. The function of the chopper is to make 'mincemeat' of the hearts, intestines, lungs, and life-veins of enemies hostile to the Dharma. A similar crescent-shaped cleaver is used in oriental cuisine to chop meat and dice vegetables.
The skull-cup (Skt. Kapala; Tib. Thod phur) fashioned from the oval upper section of the human cranium - serves as a libation vessel for a vast number of Vajrayana deities, particularly wrathful ones. In her form as Naro Khajoma, Vajrayogini is depicted pouring blood and human brains from an upraised skull-cup into her mouth, signifying that she consumes great bliss.
The skull-cup of blood (Skt. Rakta purna; Tib. Thod khrag) is usually depicted as a 'swirling-offering', with the blood forming waves and crests like turbulent water or boiling liquid, as shown in this image. This symbolizes the 'blazing and dripping' of the red bodhichitta as 'inner heat', since a liquid offering of blood or nectar is said to boil in the presence of a wrathful deity, yidam or goddess.
This description by Dr. Shailendra Kumar Verma, Ph.D. His doctorate thesis being on the "Emergence and Evolution of the Buddha Image (from its inception to 8th century A.D).
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.
