The Six-Armed Devi

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$1288
Item Code: RT70
Specifications:
South Indian Temple Wood Carving
Height: 36 inch
Width: 23 inch
Depth: 6 inch
Weight: 15.73 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 excellently modeled figure of the six-armed goddess with a gentle smile floating on her lips transforming a piece of wood into an organism pulsating with life – an exceptional phenomenon only rarely occurring in visual arts, is obviously the goddess Durga rendered in the characteristic South Indian idiom. The goddess has been represented as seated on her mount lion with her right leg suspending downwards, and left, laid horizontally over the mount’s back in the posture defined in the sculptural tradition as ‘lalitasana’. This purity of form, which this wood-image reveals, is not born of its adherence to texts; it is rather in its power to discover the pith of the represented deity’s being that the image has its distinction. The image discovers this pith of the goddess’s being not so much in an act as in her mere presence, and, this defines the real thrust of the South Indian art idiom. The entire South Indian iconographic tradition, Devi-related in particular, seems to have a preference for an image endowed with such divine aura as purified, or rather spiritualised, the entire ambience: matter or man, and elevated it by its mere presence to a different plane, and in it the image’s operative aspect is seen as having hardly any role.

The South Indian tradition of sanctum imagery little celebrates divine exploits. Except rarely, the elegantly poised images, seated or standing, but revealing great divinity and spiritual aura, portray its preference for sanctum icons, and hence despite that a divine image is seen carrying instruments of war and sometimes a symbolic vision of an exploit, such as Apasmarapurusha, demon of inertia, in the iconography of Shiva or Durga, it is rarely represented as engaged in an action. It is more conspicuous in the Devi’s imagery. In stark contrast to the North Indian perception where even the sanctum images, as those of Durga, are often operative representing her as annihilating Mahisha or any other demon, in the South she is often a divine presence in great majesty and with rare divine aura revealing a gesture of assurance against everything untoward and demonic. South Indian sanctum imagery does not celebrate divine exploits as it does divine presence.

This statue of Durga has been carved out of the fine Bangai wood, used for artistic carving and for temple images now for centuries. Fully matured, the wood-piece, the tree-trunk’s innermost part, is endowed with copper-like rare lustre attributing to the image a copper-statue-like look. The tradition, textual, popular or devotional, venerates Shiva’s consort in her manifestation as Durga, Parvati, Uma, Gauri, or even in a regional form like Mari Amma or Mari Amman, perhaps the same as this wood-image represents, as the model of supreme beauty to have ever emerged on the earth. Whether as Durga or Mari Amma, this image of the goddess has been conceived to reveal the same supreme form of beauty. However, the same tradition that perceives her as the model of supreme beauty also perceives her as the supreme warrior annihilating the mightiest demons in the battlefield, though in context to Parvati or Uma it perceives beauty as the main thrust, but in Durga’s context, valour. Hence, valour, not beauty, defines the pith of Durga’s being. As such, Durga beyond battlefield, not engaged in eliminating demons, is rarely her image in the North, and in the South, her image is an essential synthesis of supreme beauty and ultimate valour.

This Shashta-bhuja-dhari image of Durga, conceived with well defined features, a sharp nose, meditative half-shut eyes, rounded cheeks, receding chin, cute lips with a delicate smile on them, a little angular face revealing benignity, feminine softness and bliss, and a perfect anatomy : subdued belly, broad shoulders and a well proportioned body-structure, carrying in her hands ‘chakra’ – disc, battleaxe, dagger, noose, damaru – double drum, with a serpent to hold it, and the gesture of her hand assuring freedom from fear, presents a unique blend of valour and beauty, neither subordinating the other. She has been conceived with large sensuous breasts contained and adorned with a lace of pearls, which alternates the usual ‘stana-patta’. The flames of fire rising from around her face, ‘damaru’, serpent, third eye and ‘tripunda’ mark on the forehead reveal her Shaivite identity. Her figure has been conceived as putting on resplendent jewels to include a towering crown and an elegantly pleated ‘antariya’.

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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How to care for Wood Statues?


Wood is extensively used in sculpting especially in countries like China, Germany, and Japan. One feature that makes the wood extremely suitable for making statues and sculptures is that it is light and can take very fine detail. It is easier for artists to work with wood than with other materials such as metal or stone. Both hardwoods, as well as softwood, are used for making sculptures. Wood is mainly used for indoor sculptures because it is not as durable as stone. Changes in weather cause wooden sculptures to split or be attacked by insects or fungus. The principal woods for making sculptures and statues are cedar, pine, walnut, oak, and mahogany. The most common technique that sculptors use to make sculptures out of wood is carving with a chisel and a mallet. Since wooden statues are prone to damage, fire, and rot, they require proper care and maintenance.

 

  • Wood tends to expand and contract even after it has been processed, thus it is always recommended to keep the wooden sculptures in rooms with little humidity. Excess moisture can harm your masterpiece.

 

  • Periodical dusting of the finished piece is necessary to maintain its beauty as dust accumulation on the surface takes away the shine of the sculpture. You can use a clean and soft cloth or a hairbrush for this purpose.

 

  • You must avoid applying any chemical-based solutions that may damage the wood from the inside. Instead, you can apply lemon oil or coconut oil using a cotton rag to the sculpture to bring out its natural shine. Lemon oil also helps to clean any stains on the sculpture.

 

  • Applying a layer of beeswax protects the wood from sun damage and hides even the smallest imperfections on the wood.

 

It is extremely important to preserve and protect wooden sculptures with proper care. A little carelessness and negligence can lead to their decay, resulting in losing all their beauty and strength. Therefore, a regular clean-up of the sculptures is a must to prolong their age and to maintain their shine and luster. 

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