Lord Vishnu is a paramaguru, the creative aspect of the Hindu creator-preserver-destroyer trinity. He is a handsome, powerful deity who dreamed the world into being whilst He napped upon the back of Sheshanaga, the finality serpent (‘shesha’ is Sanskrit for ‘final’; ‘naga’, for ‘serpent’).
The bronze composition that you see on this page depicts the Lord Vishnu seated on a lotus pedestal upon the body of Sheshanaga, coiled into three layers engraved with characteristic serrations.
The five-hooded snake bares its multitude of fangs behind the seated creator-deity. The larger-than-life wide hoods form a kind of an aureole for the icon in the foreground - note the attention to detail paid by the artist in sculpting the naga’s underbelly.
The chaturbhujadhari Deva is seated in a rough lalitasana. He is clad in an ornate layered loincloth and a world of shringar that befits the king of the heavens. Note the towering embellished crown that sits on His handsome brow, a hallmark of Southern handiwork.
He is flanked by Shridevi and Bhudevi, the Devis who preside over resources, a prerequisite to the creative process. They are seated in a graceful lalitasana, their hands raised in gentle blessing. They have the same tall crowns and style of shringar as the Lord Vishnu. The whole composition is placed on a latticeworked lotus-petal pedestal with tigerpaw legs.
Eternal Brilliance Unveiled: The Mystique of Panchaloha Bronze and Artful Maintenance Rituals
Bronze is a metal alloy that has the primary composition of Copper and Tin. There is also an addition of other metals such as Manganese, Aluminium, Nickel, and some non-metals such as Phosphorus. This composition of several metals and non-metals makes Bronze an extremely durable and strong metal alloy. It is for this reason that Bronze is extensively used for casting sculptures and statues. Since Bronze has a low melting point, it usually tends to fill in the finest details of a mould and when it cools down, it shrinks a little that makes it easier to separate from the mould.
" If you happen to have a bronze statue, simply use a cotton cloth with some coconut oil or any other natural oil to clean the statue. "
A village named Swamimalai in South India is especially known for exceptionally well-crafted Bronze icons of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The skilled artisans of this place use Panchaloha Bronze for casting the icons. Panchaloha Bronze is made of five metals; Copper, Zinc, Lead, and small quantities of Gold and Silver. Zinc gives a golden hue to the finished figure and Lead makes the alloy softer for the easy application of a chisel and hammer. The common technique for producing these statues and sculptures is the “Lost-wax” method. Because of the high durability of bronze sculptures and statues, less maintenance is required, and can still last up to many decades.
Exotic India takes great pride in its collection of hand-picked Panchaloha Statues. You will find the murtis of Gods (Krishna, Hanuman, Narasimha, Ganesha, Nataraja, and Kartikeya) and Goddesses (Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga, and Parvati), and Buddha statues. You can also buy Ritual paraphernalia (Wicks lamp, Puja Kalash, Cymbals, and Puja Flag) on the website. All these statues and items have been made with a lot of care and attention, giving them a flawless finish. Their fine carving detail represents the rich tradition of India.
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