Mahakala with Consort

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Item Code:	ZN47
Specifications:	Antiquated Copper Sculpture
Height:	7.4 inch
Width:	6.6 inch
Depth:	3 inch
Weight:	2.10 kg

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The sculpture depicts Mahakala and his consort in Yab-Yum. This is one of the rarest forms of Mahakala, scarcely found either in sculpture or in painting. The standing Mahakala closely embraces his consort, symbolizing the union of wisdom and compassion. He has one face, ten arms and two legs. The deity stands on a lotus base, and his two feet are stepping on human figures representing obstacles. His expression is ferocious with an open mouth. His hair in upswept and is adorned with a five-skull crown. The eyebrows are like small flames and there is a third eye in the middle of forehead. Apart from crown, he is adorned with earrings, necklace, bracelets etc. A tiger skin is around his loins. The deity is holding a sword (partially damaged), an arrow, a trident, a damaru, a shield, a bow, a noose, and a severed head. In his principal hands he is holding a chopper and a skull-cup. His consort has closely embraced him. She has two hands and two legs, her left leg is wrapped around his waist and her right leg is extended along his. Both the deities are naked except for adornments, meaning that there are no delusions. She also carries a skull-cup in her left hand and a vajra-chopper in her right. She has also a third eye and her expression is ferocious. She is wearing a beautiful crown, necklace, earrings, bracelets and anklets etc.

Mahakala is the wrathful manifestation of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. He is one of the main deities of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered as both a meditational and protector deity. He removes obstacles, grant power and knowledge, and fulfil wishes of his devotees. There are seventy-five forms of Mahakala, each with different origin, names and forms.

References:

A. Getty, The Gods of Northern Buddhism, Tokyo, 1962 A. Waddel, Buddhism and Lamaism of Tibet, Delhi, 1978 (reprint) B. Lipton and Nima D. Ragnus, Treasures of Tibetan Art, New York, 1996

This description by Dr. Shailendra Kumar Verma, Ph.D. His doctorate thesis being on the "Emergence and Evolution of the Buddha Image (from its inception to 8th century A.D).

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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.