These strangely modeled four figures, cast in brass polished to reveal gold-like lustre and ivory like finish, playing independent of each other on different musical instruments, represent a group of musicians. Different from the medieval divine or royal iconographic art where a particular divinity : male or female, or a kingly figure, is portrayed holding a musical instrument – an identity symbol or indexing one of an entity’s known distinctions, these figures represent contemporary musicians : actual performing artists. They all are performing on their instruments a particular musical discipline, a mode or set of notes – a Raga, each performing to outdo the other : a duet-type thing, not orchestra-type. Divided into two groups, two on one side, facing the other two on the other side, all four musicians are instrumentalists.
The instruments the four musicians are playing on represent three classes of them. Two of them are stringed instruments, one with a drum on its base as in sitar, and the other with artistically designed ends consisting purely of strings. One of the other two is a leather-mounted double drum producing sound with disciplined beats : India’s oldest and the most basic instrument - Mradanga, and the fourth, a sort of trumpet consisting of a flared bell and a long hollow pipe conducting sound waves to the bell to produce musical notes when blown. As suggests the seating postures of these figures : two, the trumpeter and one of the two lyrists, with heads turned to left while their figures twisted to right, comprise one part of the group, while the other two, the other lyrist and the drummer, with heads turned to right and figures twisted to left, form its other part. Their group-wise distinction has been further underlined in the style of the ornaments around their neck. The two of the musicians forming the former part are wearing a set of two necklaces, one consisting of large beads and another, a curved one closer to neck, while the latter, just a single consisting of larger beads, the same as those of the former part.
More than the anatomy or the physiognomy of the figures, or the precise dimensions of various parts, the artist seems to have been keen to portray the minds of the performers, their passion, enthusiasm or rather frenzy, the rise and fall of both, the pitch of the sound as also the state of mind, with which the forms of the musicians have twisted and curved. The figures’ plasticity is amazing. The forms seem to have melted and diffused and the outlines, flow with waving curves rendering standard dimensions of the physique irrelevant. In correspondence to the character of the formless notes that these musicians and their instruments produced : each note expanded and explored for revealing the underlying pith, the meaning and its every shade – the primary role of a Raga and classicism of Indian music, their figures : arms, fingers, legs, belly and breast, necks, faces and even skulls, all seem to disregard their normal dimensions. A crossed-legs posture of sitting, being extra large the legs seem to curve like a bowl, something like curving with one hundred twenty degree angles. The rest of the figure, right from the waist to the top, installed on this bowl-like structured sitting base, curves like a bow evidencing the release of energy which flows from the body and vibrates the instrument.
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.
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.
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.
Brass idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are especially known for their intricate and detailed work of art. Nepalese sculptures are famous for small brass idols portraying Buddhist deities. These sculptures are beautified with gold gilding and inlay of precious or semi-precious stones. Religious brass statues can be kept at home altars. You can keep a decorative brass statue in your garden or roof to embellish the area and fill it with divinity.
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