Lord Ganesha Engaged in Dance

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With his left leg raised and knee flung further leftwards, and the toe of the right foot firmly planted on the lotus pedestal, heel raised and knee mildly twisted to right, the figure of Lord Ganesha is in the mode of ‘lasya’ – the dance of elegance and gentle moves revealing great aesthetic beauty. Despite that the head is a little left-inclining, the figure’s upper part, especially the hands that in dance usually gesticulate corresponding to the moves of legs, is largely static, or rather reveals a kind of symmetry : the geometry of statics, opposed to the dynamics of dance. Besides the identically carved attributes : elephant goad and noose carried in the upper hands greatly contributing to this symmetry aspect, the face of the elephant god reflects a kind of sublime stillness – the state of mere being, not being in the act. In divine iconography the dance – well defined and regulated moves, the source of the entire energy, represents life, and the deity’s all-pervading presence, the entire manifest cosmos. The image of Lord Ganesha, its one aspect revealing life, and the other, the entire manifest world, has thus rarer significance.

Though Nratya Ganapati is one of Lord Ganesha’s forms in his classical iconography dance is inherent to his being and manifests in most of his forms. Even his plain icons, seated or standing, seem to vibrate with rhythm, the inherent spirit of dance. Unlike Shiva who dances to dissolve or to his consort’s delight, Kali, to destroy, Vishnu, to suppress Bali, or Krishna, to subdue Kaliya, the venomous serpent, Lord Ganesha danced performing effortless and without an objective. In this image dance is inherent and an essential element of his being, it also corresponds to his Nratya Ganapati iconography, at least in the attributes the image is carrying – elephant goad, noose, and broken tusk. ‘Laddu’, the fourth, has been alternated with a book-like object, perhaps to denote his oceanic knowledge; however, a basket full of ‘laddus’ is placed on his right, and the one ‘laddu’ he is holding in his trunk in readiness to eat. Nratya Ganapati is usually an exalted form in ecstatic moves, the aspects replaced in the image for its far greater breadth.

The figure of the four-armed Ganapati has been modeled with a large pot belly, moderate height, legs and arms with muscular build, broad forehead with ‘tri-punda’ Shaivite mark, thoughtful eyes, right tusk broken, ears of moderate size and a straightened trunk with tip twisted to left. Besides his usual ornaments and a majestic crown with a circular disk the elephant god is wearing an elegantly pleated ‘antariya’ and a large sash tied around the waist. The image has been installed on a realistically carved cute lotus flower laid in the centre of a two-tiered elevated pedestal consisting of stylized lotus forms. A difficult composition, the image, engaged in dance and floating unsupported in the space, stands on the pedestal just with the toe of its right foot and sash-ends on the two sides being attached to it. A blend of dance into a form composed of an elephant trunk, a large belly and overall figural bulk is a challenge, and far greater when the image is required to reveal two mental dispositions, two sets of emotional bearing and two anatomical models – all in mutual conflict, and needless to say, the artist has successfully met it.

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. .

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.

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.

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.

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.