This statue of Durga, an absolute figure modeled with perfect anatomy and abounding in supreme beauty while carrying in her hands in simultaneity the instruments of war, a trident, spear and double-drum with a serpent to hold it, is a unique blend of valour and beauty, neither subordinating the other. Apart, as represents her figure in the statue, the goddess manifests in her being both dissolution and sustenance, and thus, the entire cosmic act. She has, rising from around her face, flames of fire : a manifestation of Tandava – Shiva’s dance and the ultimate tool of dissolution. Trident, destroying all three cosmic regions by its three blades, and ‘damaru’ – double drum, announcing both, dissolution and creation, the tools that she is carrying, further emphasize her role as destroyer. Besides defining her Shaivite links, the tiny bust of Shiva with identical flames rising from around his face, carved close to her right foot, symbolises that the goddess assimilates into her being all that Shiva stands for – his role or whatever.

Serpents are an essential element of Shiva’s iconography; however, the five hooded great serpent Shesh is linked solely with Vishnu or his incarnations, or to Lakshmi, his consort. By assimilating Shesh with the image of the goddess the artist has added to it Vaishnava dimension attributing to her the sustainer’s role. Her figure has been conceived with pots-like large breasts full of milk, and she has been portrayed as carrying a long bowl in one of her hands, obviously filled with milk, both elements defining her universal motherhood. Her figure enshrines the Prabhavali consisting of lotus-motifs and topped by a massive Kirtti-mukha. Prabhavali symbolises cosmos, lotus-motifs, life, and Kirtti-mukha, good and auspicious : all the aspects of life and its prevalence suggestive of the role of the goddess as sustainer. A towering Vaishnava crown that the goddess is wearing, or the Shaivite ‘tripunda’ mark on her forehead are iconographic features not much significant in regard to her image.

The figure of the goddess, conceived with well defined features, a sharp nose, meditative half-shut eyes, rounded cheeks, receding chin and a face revealing benignity, feminine softness and bliss, has been installed on a tall two-tiered seat, both rectangular with chamfered corners composed of lotus-motifs. The flames of fire which a halo-like cover her face from behind are symbolic of her divine energy, besides symbolising her power to dissolve. The four-armed Durga is seated in ‘lalitasana’, revealing great aesthetic beauty, carrying in her hands ‘damaru’ knotted with a serpent, trident, a spear-type weapon with shorter length, and a long bowl. Her sensuously designed ‘stana-patta’ – breast-band, enhancing the beauty of her breasts, and an elegantly pleated ‘antariya’ covering her body below her waist, are characteristic features of the South Indian sculptures. A subdued belly, broad shoulders, sensuously moulded breasts and a well proportioned body-structure, all have been brilliantly conceived.

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.