The Dancing Nymph

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The figure of Yakshi, dancing fully absorbed and transported into a being beyond her, has been installed on a moderately tall lotus-pedestal inside a beautifully conceived ‘prabhavali’ consisting of conventionalised lotus motifs with a flower-like looking beaded medallion atop. From the centre of this beaded medallion release on either side bunches of decorative laces looking like whiskers of the mythical lion usually comprising a Kirtti-mukha motif’s part. This ornamental member atop the ‘prabhavali’ hence looks like a Kirtti-mukha motif, whether endowed with its auspiciousness or not is not known. Except its upper part curving like an arch, the ‘prabhavali’ is a simple structure composed of two parallel columns rising from the lotus-base which the dancer’s figure enshrines. The outer half of the ‘prabhavali’ consists of the lotus design, while the inside, of the courses of beads and other ornamental design-motifs.

The figure’s hands, the rhythmically folded left, turned back to shoulder, and the right, straightened but for a mild curve, and fingers, illustrating a narrative : a tale or a dialogue, outwardly twisted knees and correspondingly positioned feet, the widened toes and the close heels, sash, waist-band and other components of ensemble floating into the air, or rather the entire geometry of her figure, all reveal her dancer’s identity, and her transcendental beauty and rare grace, her celestial links. The dance form she is absorbed into is a form of Kathaka – one of India's main classical dances, which developed in the course of time by synthesizing dance idioms of the north, Oudh and Brij in particular, and is hence universally revered as the dance of North.

As the term literally means, Kathaka is a dance of ‘katha’ – tale, teller : initially a male dancer’s performance. Except a forward thrust revealing in the legs’ demeanour, as the story-telling sometimes required, Kathaka is a dance of upright stance with the body held absolutely erect, even the knees not revealing deflection. However, as document some early sculptures from Rajasthan, it later developed, regionally or in entirety, also a half-seated posture with outward turned knees, as in this wooden sculpture, though body-forms that revealed story-telling were yet the key-concern of Kathaka. Maybe, instead of an erect figure a body-posture with deflecting knees created greater visual drama, and was hence sculptor’s priority. In any case, with decisive emphasis on the story-telling body-posture, the dance form represented in the statue is essentially Kathaka. The position of legs with deflecting knees is a characteristic posture of Bharatanatyam, the classical dance of the South. Maybe, the sculptor has blended into the form of his dancer this element from the Bharatanatyam tradition.

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.

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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.