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11" Lord Indra from Nepal

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$1135

Every year in the eleventh month of the Nepalese lunar calendar, the capital of Nepal Kathmandu celebrates the festival of Indra Jatra- a festival based on processions (Jatra) named after Indra, the lord of heavens and the bestower of enriching rains. According to the local legends, Indra dressed as a common farmer and descended on earth to collect the beautiful Parijata (Night Jasmine) flower.

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Item Code:	WSA061
Specifications:	Copper
Height:	11 inch
Width:	5.5 inch
Depth:	8 inch
Weight:	2.90 kg

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. During his quest, he was caught by the city folks who mistook him for a thief. Upon the interference of his mother, the earth goddess Vasundhara or Basundhara, the people realized their mistake and released him immediately. Content with the freedom of his son, the earth goddess rewarded the residents of Nepal by giving them the boon of an abundance of winter dew, for the nourishment of their crops. Owing to this event, besides being the protector of the Buddha and king of gods, Indra is also worshipped as the giver of agricultural wealth.

Here we have the great Indra or Shakra/Shaka as called in Buddhism, visualized as the master of the Trayastimsa heaven (one of the seven heavens), seated in the regal Maharajalila posture. The thunderbolt or Vajra in his right hand besides being one of his attributes as the bringer of rains and storms is a vital Buddhist symbol for the inactive, male potency of the universe. His left hand, resting on the ground holds the stylistically delineated stalk of a lotus flower. The most striking feature of this glistening copper Indra is his quintessentially Nepalese jewellery. The embossed jewels in the loveliest pink and green hues in the tiara-like crown, necklaces, armbands, bracelets, and waistband recreate the ornamentation of the custodian of all of the heavens’ wealth. A deific serenity flows from the visage of Indra, which is composed and introspective in appearance. A stunning jewel in the centre of the forehead of the Devaraja- the king (raja) of all gods (devas) is a great use of embellishment in order to convey essential philosophical lessons. The jewel or Mani symbolizes the third eye- an attribute shared by those who have achieved the greatest wisdom. The glimmer of the jewel replicates the radiance that emerges from an enlightened mind.

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.