29" Stunning Goddess Green Tara Riding a Snow Lion | Copper With 24K Gilded Gold

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The roaring mount of Green Tara in this copper with gold icon is placed on a semi-circular platform, its base embellished with fine floral patterns and a line of lotus petals. From the middle of the platform, spurts a lotus flower which serves as the footrest for Green Tara, who with her one dangling leg is ever-ready to descend on the earth and salvage her devotees.

The snow lion on which the gilded Green Tara statue is placed is a marvelous piece of art, with the mouth of the animal agape, his tongue lolling out, two rows of sharp teeth peeping from his mouth, his mane painted in a fiery orange with its curls visible at the back, his right foot raised and his tail curling gracefully. With skillful sculpting of copper and seamless gilding, the artist has succeeded in giving a distinctive musculature to the figure of the snow lion in this Nepalese Green Tara statue. The animal in Tibetan Buddhism is the protector of the Buddha, and symbolizes the powers of Enlightened Wisdom, with his roar equated with the divine call for awakening.

The presence of Green Tara in this gilded copper statue carries the essence of universal compassion. Her visage holds a pleasant inward smile, with perfected features and a smooth gold layer brought together charmingly by the Buddhist five-pronged crown and the earrings that adorn her elongated ears. Necklaces, armlets, bracelets, and waistband, intricately designed and studded with turquoise and coral stones beautify the celestial form of this Green Tara gilded copper statue.

The softness of her delicate dhoti (lower body garment) and scarf and the elegant patterns on them are carved with such precision, that one can feel the movement of the scarf flying near Green Tara’s shoulders, making silky curls in the process. Two fully blossomed lotuses are wrapped around Tara’s hands, which are raised in the gestures of intellectual discussion- Vitarka mudra and dissemination of boons- Varada mudra.

An ornate aureole adorns the splendid Nepalese Green Tara icon, magnifying her heavenly aura and catching the eye with the tasteful interplay of colorful shades against its gilded surface. With benevolence in her attitude and fearless energy in the manner of her mount, this handmade Nepalese Green Tara is a potent representation of the female Bodhisattva for anyone who wishes to reach the unparalleled wisdom of the Buddha.

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.