Goddess Kali – The Most Terrific Shakti

$1360
Item Code: XD92
Specifications:
Black Marble Sculpture
Height: 21.2 inch
Width: 15.3 inch
Depth: 5 inch
Weight: 20.90 kg
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
Shipped to 153 countries
Shipped to 153 countries
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
This four-armed terrific figure, carved out of a fine-grained marble block, dark black, the stone’s natural colour, besides selective parts painted in blood-red, mainly her lolling tongue, palms, the soles of feet and cuts of severed heads, one held in one of her hands, and others worn as garland around her neck, obviously those of the demons she killed, palms smeared in blood when killing them, and feet, when moving around the blood-soaked battlefield, represents goddess Kali, the most extensively worshipped divinity of Indian masses, perhaps the monkey god Hanuman alone equaling. Even crude and unsophisticated sculpted by some unskilled local hand, an image of Kali is found enshrining an humble structure raised over a natural outcrop of earth by conically laid bricks, a couple of them or two, even in a far off tribal settlement not with ten hutments, in an uninhabited tract of forest or around a cremation ground,. Not belts like Bengal where Kali and Kali-worship are people’s principal deity and ritual, Kali is the most worshipped deity in every part of the country, from a rich man’s domestic shrine to a poor man’s hut, from a sage's seat to a dacoit's hideout.

As indicates excavated material, a fierce mother, protective but impatient, wrathful and destructive, in one form or other Kali seems to have been in worship even amongst aboriginal tribes much before the hierarchy of sophisticated gods emerged. It was perhaps in view of her immense popularity and divine power people attributed to her that she was inducted into Hindu pantheon and her image and a regular iconographic form began emerging. In the Devi-Mahatmya part of his Purana sage Markandeya, the earliest known and authoritative statement in regard to Devi-cult, perceived her as destroying, along with Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, various demonic powers and helping maintain order. He does not talk of her anatomical form but as one carrying a large number of attributes he seems to have had in vision a goddess with multi arms. Subsequent Puranas, Agni Purana, Garuda Purana, Devi Purana, Bhagavata Purana among others, hence, perceived her as endowed with ten to eighteen arms carrying in them a wide range of weapons and other attributes.

Though Puranas subordinate Kali sometimes to Lord Shiva as his spouse, and sometimes to Durga as one of her aspects or inherent ‘Shaktis’ – powers, her awe-inspiring form and to a great extent her crudity were ever the same. These texts perceived her, and as invariably the medieval art represented, as the goddess with a repulsive wrinkled face, deep socketed eyes, boisterous laughter on lips, untidy body with age-worn skin, disheveled hair, devouring human limbs and drinking fresh blood, loitering around cremation ground and dancing on corpses. However unlike such multi-armed manifestations carrying in them various attributes of war, or too repulsive a form, this image of the goddess has been conceived with four arms carrying in one of them a ‘khadga’, a sword with a chopper like broad blade, in another, a decapitated head of a demon, also a bowl of blood. The fourth hand is just as gesticulated, bestowing boons on her devotees.

Immensely simplified, almost a normal human anatomy, as could justify the contention of being Shiva’s spouse, or just an aspect of Durga, albeit black-complexioned, otherwise the essence of her being as Kali – one who is black, and her blood-smeared body parts and sword, a decapitated human head in one of her hands and many more hung around her neck and a girdle of severed human hands on her waist, her figure has been conceived pursuing norms of human anatomy: a well-built body abounding in youthful vigour, large beautiful eyes, round face and womanly grace enshrining her entire figure. Though blood-anointed and hence discoloured, her hair is long scattered a thick sheet-like down the ankles, covering the entire back and hips and are beautiful. The girdle of severed human hands around her waist covers her like a girdle composed of beautiful lotuses. The wide spread Kali-cult contends that with her immense energy she overpowers Shiva which appropriately reflects in many of her visual manifestations that represent her, as here, as standing upon Shiva, an humble two-armed form carrying in one of them his ‘damaru’ – double drum, and in the other, a club-like attribute. Shiva pervades the cosmos, and Kali pervades Shiva, she hence pervades the cosmos and is the supreme divinity.

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.

How to clean and maintain marble statues?


Marble has been a preferred material for sculptors and artists for more than a thousand years. It is a rock that undergoes metamorphism which causes recrystallization of the original carbonate mineral grains. Marble comes in various colors, designs, and dimensions. Pure white marble is the most preferred type of marble for making sculptures and statues since time immemorial. White marble is especially used for sculpting stone monumental sculptures since ancient times. The natural shine and luster of the carbonate crystals of white marble give a lavish and beautiful appearance to the statue.

 

Marble stone statues are highly durable and can even withstand harsh weather conditions without getting corroded, therefore, they can be kept indoors or outdoors without getting damaged or weathered. Although these statues can last for many decades, their regular care and cleaning are essential to increase their longevity and beautiful appearance.


  • The simplest and basic way of cleaning a marble stone statue is to clear away dirt accumulated on the surface. Outdoor statues are especially prone to biological growth and dirt build-up that may take away their natural beauty. You may rinse the statue with warm water and mild soap to clean the dirt as much as possible. You can use a sponge or cotton cloth to scrape off dirt accumulated in crevices and cracks.

 

  • You must never allow water to stand on the surface of the statue for a long time. Standing water gets absorbed by the marble’s porous surface which results in its discoloration. Therefore, it is always recommended to dry-clean the statue with a towel or damp cloth.

 

  • Applying beeswax, a non-toxic product, on the surface of the marble statue offers protection against staining, dirt, and pollutants. It also polishes the surface and gives a natural shine to the statue.

 

Marble statues need periodical cleaning to maintain their flawless look. However, harsh and deep cleaning can result in making the statue look dull. If your marble statue is withering away, it is recommended to take the help of a professional cleaner. Marble is a delicate material and therefore needs proper care.

Marble Mastery Unveiled: The Artisan's Symphony in Sculpting Timeless Beauty

Marble is a soft and delicate metamorphic rock derived from limestone. It is composed mainly of recrystallized carbonate minerals. The appealing appearance of marble gives rise to the making of beautiful sculptures and statues. Jaipur city of Rajasthan, India, is considered the capital of marble carving where various marble idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are made. These magnificent statues are carved by skilled sculptors out of the purest white marble. The slight softness of white marble makes it easier to be carved and chiseled into any desirable form or shape. Another impressive feature of marble is that the calcite has a low refractive index that allows light to penetrate the stone before getting scattered out. This results in bringing a translucent appearance and luster to the marble sculpture. This is the reason why most sculptors prefer to work with marble for sculpting life-size statues that require intricate details, evoking a certain realism to the work.

There is a detailed or step-by-step process of developing the desired structure of a sculpture from marble stone. These steps are:

1. Clay mould

Most sculptors prefer to sculpt a preliminary model out of clay or wax to translate its complex and intricate details into the final stone sculpture with the use of calipers or a pointing machine. The plasticity of the clay mould helps sculptors capture the success of the final sculpture before carving the stone. The clay is moulded into the desired shape or form and this acts as a rough
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2. Roughing out

The second step of carving or sculpting is to remove large portions of unwanted marble stone. This task is done by using a special tool known as a point chisel. The pointed end of this tool is useful for splitting the large stone and removing big chunks that are not wanted. Usually, a mallet (a tool similar to a hammer) is used to transfer energy through the chisel to shatter the stone evenly and accurately.
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3. Refining the figure

Once the sculptors have determined the general shape of the sculpture, a toothed chisel or claw chisel is used to refine the stone. These tools create parallel lines in the stone to add texture to the figure. During this stage, the rough block of stone has now changed into the general shape of the sculpture.
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4. Adding the details

The sculptor is now ready to carry out detailed work to develop a more refined form of the sculpture. Tools such as rasps and rifflers are then used to enhance the shape into its final form. These tools finely create details such as frills or folds of clothing or locks of hair.
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5. Polishing

This is the last step in marble sculpting in which the sculptor uses materials such as sandpaper to bring out a natural sheen to the sculpture. The sandpaper is rubbed against the surface to make it smoother and flawless. Sometimes, tin oxide is also used to make the sculpture appear glossy and more translucent.
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Marble sculptures are highly durable and can last for many decades if maintained and taken care of properly. They are also extremely weather-resistant and therefore, can be kept outdoors or indoors. The exquisite beauty of marble statues elevates the aura of the space and emanates positivity all around.
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