Jagad-Guru Shankaracharya

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20 to 26 weeks
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$277 (20%)
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$1108
Item Code: XF02
Specifications:
White Marble Sculpture
Height: 14 inch
Width: 9 inch
Depth: 5 inch
Weight: 10.20 kg
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
Shipped to 153 countries
Shipped to 153 countries
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
This excellent statue, sculpted from a pearl-like luminous finely grained white marble rare in its lustre, pulsating with the vigour of life, represents the great spiritual and philosophical preceptor of India, Shankara or Shankaracharya, worldwide honoured, for centuries now, as ‘Jagad-Guru’. The date of his birth varies in various biographical sources by about thirteen hundred years, the earliest being 508/9 BC, and the latest, 788 AD, of them 788 AD being more acceptable. However, there is strange uniformity in regards the short tenure of life : barely thirty-two year, not even the age of full youth. The sculptor in conceiving his image has focused mainly on this young age-aspect of the great sage. A sage or anchorite by ensemble the statue portrays him in the early years of his youth almost in his boyish days.

Whichever the date of his birth, Shankaracharya was born in a Nambudiri Brahmin family of the village Kaladi, or Kalati, the present day Kalady in Kerala. Kaladi was situated on the bank of the holy river Periyar, also known as Purna or Churna. Shankaracharya’s father’s name was Shivaguru, and mother’s, Aryamba. They belonged to old Nambudiri caste. Initially, Shivaguru and Aryamba were childless. They many times visited Vrashabhachala, a close-by mountain peak, and made offering to Chandramaulishvara, a form of Lord Shiva, enshrining a temple at Vrashabhachala. After long, their prayer and supplication bore result and with the blessings of Shiva the Nambudiri couple had a son. His horoscope was interpreted as indicating that the child had a short life tenure but it would have such glory as takes many births to attain. Both, Shivaguru and Aryamba were deeply religious persons and this had deep influence on the mind of Shankaracharya.

When Shankaracharya was yet a child, his father died leaving him in his mother’s care. The death of his father was his ever first lesson in philosophy. He realised the futility of life and decided to renounce the world and spend his days as a sanyasi – anchorite. He knew that the disclosure of his intention would completely shatter his mother and knew not how to disclose it to her. However, a chance incident eased his problem. One day, when accompanying his mother he went to a reservoir and began bathing in it, a crocodile caught his leg and began dragging him into its jaws. An undisturbed Shankaracharya told his mother all about it and said that he would prefer dying as a sanyasi, and if she permitted he would take to sanyas before the crocodile swallowed him and had thus the death of a sanyasi. With no option left, she permitted him for it, though strangely the moment he took the vow of sanyas, the crocodile left his leg and disappeared into the water. Now the mother could not take back her permission, not Shankaracharya, his vow. At seven Shankaracharya was a sanyasi.

Now he looked for a Guru that he found in Govindabhagavatapada. He proceeded to meet him but before he was there, Govindabhagavatapada knew by his divine vision all about him. After initial education he sent him to several places including Kashi – Varanasi, had discussion-sessions with learned ones there. He defeated all, though his conquest over Mandan Mishra, the most learned giant of those days, was widely talked about. However, the matter did not end in defeating Mandan Mishra alone. His wife Bhartidevi challenged him to defeat her too. She was a well-versed lady. Shankaracharya replied all her questions but then she put before him a few questions in regard to sexual love of which Shankaracharya had no experience and hence could not reply. He, however, sought from her some time. He then leaving his body with his disciples for its safe upkeep entered into the body of a king who had died right then and in his new body he had the experience of sexual love. Having so mastered the art of sexual love he returned into his original body and then to Bhartidevi and replied all her questions.

The statue portrays the great sage as interpreting his point with the gesture of his right hand, while the left has been represented as holding a book suggestive of scriptures that Shankaracharya had produced. He has been sculpted as seated on a tiger skin, the usual seat of anchorites. His deep saffron antariya – lower wear, and a red uttariya – upper wear, are characteristic ensemble of a Hindu saint. A saint in the Shaivite line, he has on his forehead a ‘tri-punda’ mark, and on his neck, a lace of large size stone beads. Seated in cross-legged posture, the face, his deep large eyes and the contentment enshrining it, reveal deep absorption.

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 clean and maintain marble statues?


Marble has been a preferred material for sculptors and artists for more than a thousand years. It is a rock that undergoes metamorphism which causes recrystallization of the original carbonate mineral grains. Marble comes in various colors, designs, and dimensions. Pure white marble is the most preferred type of marble for making sculptures and statues since time immemorial. White marble is especially used for sculpting stone monumental sculptures since ancient times. The natural shine and luster of the carbonate crystals of white marble give a lavish and beautiful appearance to the statue.

 

Marble stone statues are highly durable and can even withstand harsh weather conditions without getting corroded, therefore, they can be kept indoors or outdoors without getting damaged or weathered. Although these statues can last for many decades, their regular care and cleaning are essential to increase their longevity and beautiful appearance.


  • The simplest and basic way of cleaning a marble stone statue is to clear away dirt accumulated on the surface. Outdoor statues are especially prone to biological growth and dirt build-up that may take away their natural beauty. You may rinse the statue with warm water and mild soap to clean the dirt as much as possible. You can use a sponge or cotton cloth to scrape off dirt accumulated in crevices and cracks.

 

  • You must never allow water to stand on the surface of the statue for a long time. Standing water gets absorbed by the marble’s porous surface which results in its discoloration. Therefore, it is always recommended to dry-clean the statue with a towel or damp cloth.

 

  • Applying beeswax, a non-toxic product, on the surface of the marble statue offers protection against staining, dirt, and pollutants. It also polishes the surface and gives a natural shine to the statue.

 

Marble statues need periodical cleaning to maintain their flawless look. However, harsh and deep cleaning can result in making the statue look dull. If your marble statue is withering away, it is recommended to take the help of a professional cleaner. Marble is a delicate material and therefore needs proper care.

Marble Mastery Unveiled: The Artisan's Symphony in Sculpting Timeless Beauty

Marble is a soft and delicate metamorphic rock derived from limestone. It is composed mainly of recrystallized carbonate minerals. The appealing appearance of marble gives rise to the making of beautiful sculptures and statues. Jaipur city of Rajasthan, India, is considered the capital of marble carving where various marble idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are made. These magnificent statues are carved by skilled sculptors out of the purest white marble. The slight softness of white marble makes it easier to be carved and chiseled into any desirable form or shape. Another impressive feature of marble is that the calcite has a low refractive index that allows light to penetrate the stone before getting scattered out. This results in bringing a translucent appearance and luster to the marble sculpture. This is the reason why most sculptors prefer to work with marble for sculpting life-size statues that require intricate details, evoking a certain realism to the work.

There is a detailed or step-by-step process of developing the desired structure of a sculpture from marble stone. These steps are:

1. Clay mould

Most sculptors prefer to sculpt a preliminary model out of clay or wax to translate its complex and intricate details into the final stone sculpture with the use of calipers or a pointing machine. The plasticity of the clay mould helps sculptors capture the success of the final sculpture before carving the stone. The clay is moulded into the desired shape or form and this acts as a rough
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2. Roughing out

The second step of carving or sculpting is to remove large portions of unwanted marble stone. This task is done by using a special tool known as a point chisel. The pointed end of this tool is useful for splitting the large stone and removing big chunks that are not wanted. Usually, a mallet (a tool similar to a hammer) is used to transfer energy through the chisel to shatter the stone evenly and accurately.
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3. Refining the figure

Once the sculptors have determined the general shape of the sculpture, a toothed chisel or claw chisel is used to refine the stone. These tools create parallel lines in the stone to add texture to the figure. During this stage, the rough block of stone has now changed into the general shape of the sculpture.
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4. Adding the details

The sculptor is now ready to carry out detailed work to develop a more refined form of the sculpture. Tools such as rasps and rifflers are then used to enhance the shape into its final form. These tools finely create details such as frills or folds of clothing or locks of hair.
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5. Polishing

This is the last step in marble sculpting in which the sculptor uses materials such as sandpaper to bring out a natural sheen to the sculpture. The sandpaper is rubbed against the surface to make it smoother and flawless. Sometimes, tin oxide is also used to make the sculpture appear glossy and more translucent.
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Marble sculptures are highly durable and can last for many decades if maintained and taken care of properly. They are also extremely weather-resistant and therefore, can be kept outdoors or indoors. The exquisite beauty of marble statues elevates the aura of the space and emanates positivity all around.
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