14" Superfine Ritual Box With Trident Shaped Latch In Brass | Handmade | Made In India

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How to care for Wood Statues?

Wood is extensively used in sculpting especially in countries like China, Germany, and Japan. One feature that makes the wood extremely suitable for making statues and sculptures is that it is light and can take very fine detail. It is easier for artists to work with wood than with other materials such as metal or stone. Both hardwoods, as well as softwood, are used for making sculptures. Wood is mainly used for indoor sculptures because it is not as durable as stone. Changes in weather cause wooden sculptures to split or be attacked by insects or fungus. The principal woods for making sculptures and statues are cedar, pine, walnut, oak, and mahogany. The most common technique that sculptors use to make sculptures out of wood is carving with a chisel and a mallet. Since wooden statues are prone to damage, fire, and rot, they require proper care and maintenance.

• Wood tends to expand and contract even after it has been processed, thus it is always recommended to keep the wooden sculptures in rooms with little humidity. Excess moisture can harm your masterpiece.

• Periodical dusting of the finished piece is necessary to maintain its beauty as dust accumulation on the surface takes away the shine of the sculpture. You can use a clean and soft cloth or a hairbrush for this purpose.

• You must avoid applying any chemical-based solutions that may damage the wood from the inside. Instead, you can apply lemon oil or coconut oil using a cotton rag to the sculpture to bring out its natural shine. Lemon oil also helps to clean any stains on the sculpture.

• Applying a layer of beeswax protects the wood from sun damage and hides even the smallest imperfections on the wood.

It is extremely important to preserve and protect wooden sculptures with proper care. A little carelessness and negligence can lead to their decay, resulting in losing all their beauty and strength. Therefore, a regular clean-up of the sculptures is a must to prolong their age and to maintain their shine and luster. 

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.

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.

How to keep a Brass statue well-maintained?

Brass statues are known and appreciated for their exquisite beauty and luster. The brilliant bright gold appearance of Brass makes it appropriate for casting aesthetic statues and sculptures. Brass is a metal alloy composed mainly of copper and zinc. This chemical composition makes brass a highly durable and corrosion-resistant material. Due to these properties, Brass statues and sculptures can be kept both indoors as well as outdoors. They also last for many decades without losing all their natural shine.

Brass statues can withstand even harsh weather conditions very well due to their corrosion-resistance properties. However, maintaining the luster and natural beauty of brass statues is essential if you want to prolong their life and appearance.

• The best and simplest way to maintain a brass statue is to clean it at least twice a week using a soft cloth or cotton rag. This will prevent dust from accumulating on the surface. Dusting is especially important for outdoor statues since it is prone to dust accumulation much more than indoors.

• Another way is to cleanse the statue with mild soap, warm water, and a cotton cloth. You must go to every inch of the statue and even to the crevices and cracks. After this, clean the article with a dry towel to wipe off pools of water left on the surface.

• To give a natural shine and luster to the statue, you may apply coconut or olive oil using cotton on every portion. You can use a toothbrush to get to the small crevices but do not be too harsh. This will make the brass statue appear fresh and new with a polished look.

• In case you have a colored brass statue, you may apply mustard oil using a soft brush or clean cloth on the brass portion while for the colored portion of the statue, you may use coconut oil with a cotton cloth. 

From bondage to salvation

The Trident is seen as a subtle attack on the negative tendencies or Anarthas such as lust, anger, greed, envy, ego, and illusion. These Anarthas pollute the mind and intelligence of the conditioned souls and cover their real identity and consciousness. As a result, they forget their eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord and become engrossed in material existence. The Trident is an awakening for all the forgetful souls to seek spiritual guidance to know about the Absolute Truth.

The attack or stroke of the Trident destroys all the Anarthas within their hearts. When this happens, the person transcends the modes of material nature and is situated in pure goodness (Shuddh Sattva). In this state of existence, he neither laments for the past nor hankers for anything and remains blissful in his spiritual identity. After leaving the material body, he does not take birth again in any of the planetary systems, but rather returns to the eternal abode of the Supreme. Hence, he comes out of the cycle of repeated birth and death and is not subject to the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the material world.

This is achieved when an individual takes the shelter of a Guru (spiritual master), Shastra (scriptures), and Sadhu (saintly persons) which are the most important symbolic representation of the three points of the Trident. Thus he breaks free from the bondage of the ocean of nescience and becomes liberated.