Krishna as Vishnu Blowing His Flute

$1750
Item Code: XN65
Specifications:
South Indian Temple Wood Carving
Height: 35 inch
Width: 17.8 inch
Depth: 6.4 inch
Weight: 16.80 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
An excellently crafted wood-piece, the statue represents straight way its theme: Lord Krishna as Vishnu blowing his flute, and dragged by its magic a cow draws to him, submits to him and as a token of her love and dedication caresses with its mouth his raised foot from behind. Led by the melody that he has himself created, the ecstatic Krishna is emotionally moved and leans over the cow’s back for support. The statue has not incorporated any paraphernalia, not even a routine Prabhavali – fire-arch, except a formal lotus base to install the image, perhaps a simple aesthetic maneuvering to keep eye engaged solely with the image, or in an attempt to reveal the usual mysticism which the devotional cult of Krishna often reveals : when his divine melody reaches one’s heart, all distances and forms eliminate and the seeker and the sought unite in inseparable unity, and then there is only Him and the void. The statue is rare in modeling, plasticity and iconographic perception. The downwards turned eyes as absorbed in melody, a slightly elongated face with sharp elegantly conceived features and a small pointed chin make the piece simply outstanding.

This mode of Krishna’s image, standing in a three-curved posture, known as ‘tri-bhanga mudra’, most of Krishna’s standing images being in ‘tri-bhanga’, playing on his flute, and a cow drawing to him, is known in the theological as well as artistic tradition as Dhenu-Gopala. The term ‘dhenu’ means cow; and, ‘Gopala’, a combination of two terms, ‘go’, meaning cow, and ‘pala’, meaning ‘keeper’, also means the patron of cows. Thus, it appears that the epithet repeats the terms denotative of cow twice. It is, however, only a very simple meaning of the term. Cow is symbolic of the earth, and ‘go’, besides cow, also denotes senses. It gives to the term ‘Dhenu-Gopala’ symbolic breadth suggesting that Krishna, the patron of the earth, is also the patron of senses, the pith of Vaishnavism that perceives the path of redemption across material or rather sensuous avenues. The wood-piece represents Lord Krishna as standing with his body curving rhythmically with curves, first, at foot joint, second, at knee-joint, third, at waist, fourth, at shoulder turning the figure into five directions, though the posture is known as ‘tri-bhanga’, that is, three-curved. With his three curves he is believed to pervade three worlds or three cosmic regions, and with his five, all five directions.

The figure of Lord Krishna is placed on a pedestal with moderate height and varying geometry, the back being rectangular, while the front, a half hexagon composed of stylized lotus motifs and a floral medallion in the centre of the forearm. The four-armed figure of Lord Krishna, carrying in his normal two hands his flute and playing on it, and in other two, ‘chakra’ – disc, and ‘shankha’ – conch, is standing in the centre of the pedestal. Behind his figure stands a well-adorned cow affectionately moving its tail as well as its face, eyes and head towards the flute playing Krishna. The cow seems to caress his upwards raised foot as if out of obligation for working its redemption.

The divine form of Lord Krishna is clad in an elegantly pleated ‘antariya’ – lower wear, adorned with a broad girdle composed of beaded strings and laces of phalis. Tugged with the girdle there are two sash-like beautifully designed decorative textiles unfurling on sides. The tight-fitted ‘antariya’ is elegantly pleated. Around the shoulders he is putting on a proper sash flanking on either side. He is wearing a multi-tiered splendid crown made of fine gold and inlaid with precious jewels topped by a finial motif, and around it, there reveals great divine aura concretizing into a halo. On his forehead he has the mark of a Vaishnava ‘tilaka’, and in his ears, the mythical Vaishnava ‘kundalas’. He is also putting on a wide range of ornaments, heavy and light, bangles, bracelets, armlets, necklaces, anklets and the like. Besides a long laced garland composed of large phali-motifs, he also is putting on a thickly conceived garland as if made with multiple laces of flowers reaching down to thigh-height : the characteristic Vaishnava Vaijayanti of celestial Parijata flowers.

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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Sculpting Serenity: Unveiling the Art of Crafting Wood Statues

Wood has been a preferred material for sculptures and statues since ancient times. It is easy to work with than most metals and stones and therefore requires less effort to shape it into any desired shape or form. The texture of the wood gives an element of realism to the sculpture. The selection of an appropriate wood type is necessary for carving. Woods that are too resinous or coniferous are not considered good for carving as their fiber is very soft and thus lacks strength. On the other hand, wood such as Mahogany, Oakwood, Walnut wood, Weet cherry wood, etc., are preferred by sculptors because their fiber is harder. A wood sculptor uses various tools such as a pointed chisel in one hand and a mallet in another to bring the wood to the desired measurement and to make intricate details on it. A carving knife is used to cut and smooth the wood. Other tools such as the gouge, V-tool, and coping saw also serve as important tools in wood carving. Although the wood carving technique is not as complex and tough as stone carving or metal sculpting, nonetheless, a wood carver requires a high level of skills and expertise to create a stunning sculpture.

1. Selecting the right wood

The process of wood carving begins with selecting a chunk of wood that is required according to the type and shape of the statue to be created by the sculptor. Both hardwoods and softwoods are used for making artistic pieces, however, hardwoods are preferred more than softer woods because of their durability and longevity. But if heavy detailing is to be done on the statue, wood with fine grain would be needed as it would be difficult to work with hardwood.
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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.
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3. Adding detailing

When a refined shape of the statue is obtained, it is time for making details on the statue using different tools. This is achieved by using tools such as a veiner to make and a V-tool to create decorative and sharp cuts.
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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.
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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. 

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