Her gruesome body and lolling tongue stream with blood. Around her neck she wears a garland of skulls. In her four hands she holds a sickle which has freshly severed the head she holds in another hand. We know that the head has been newly decapitated because blood can be seen sprouting from it. The goddess very judiciously collects it in a bowl held in a third hand. The fourth hand makes a gesture which says 'fear Me not.'
Through all the horror shines the beautiful nubile body of a sixteen year old woman at the height of her sexual powers which is absolutely irresistible to enemy, husband, and devotee alike. The Indian tradition views the age of sixteen as the perfect one, when the body of a woman is in full bloom. Indeed all Indian goddesses are thought ideally to be sixteen years old. Here Kali with her slim and lissome limbs projects this very ideal. Something of this, and the ambiguity of her nature that this implies can be seen in the following song by Ramprasad (1718-75):
Look, whose wife is this who dances in so frightful a fashion? Ah, who is this with body like a fresh blue raincloud? Who is she who falls naked into the pool of Siva's heart? Who has created this solitary figure With feet more beautiful than a red lotus - and why is the earth so utterly destroyed? I have this excessive burning desire to hold her with cords of love, So she floats gently on the pool of my heart. Who is she, reproached because her smooth and soft thighs stream with blood, Like angry lightning flashing from a cloud? Her budding breasts thrust firmly upward, and bees drink honey from her mouth. Her charms are displayed like a white lotus rising from dark water, Her sensuous mouth and fluttering tongue have entranced Siva, He seems confused and excited, as if drunk.... Ramprasad says, It's no use fighting with this woman, Under whose feet Siva lies pretending to be dead.
This sculpture comes from Bastar in Chattisgarh, where Ghadva metalsmiths, also known as Ghasias, make images using the cire perdue technique (lost-wax).
How to keep a Brass statue well-maintained?
Brass statues are known and appreciated for their exquisite beauty and luster. The brilliant bright gold appearance of Brass makes it appropriate for casting aesthetic statues and sculptures. Brass is a metal alloy composed mainly of copper and zinc. This chemical composition makes brass a highly durable and corrosion-resistant material. Due to these properties, Brass statues and sculptures can be kept both indoors as well as outdoors. They also last for many decades without losing all their natural shine.
Brass statues can withstand even harsh weather conditions very well due to their corrosion-resistance properties. However, maintaining the luster and natural beauty of brass statues is essential if you want to prolong their life and appearance.
In case you have a colored brass statue, you may apply mustard oil using a soft brush or clean cloth on the brass portion while for the colored portion of the statue, you may use coconut oil with a cotton cloth.
Brass idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are especially known for their intricate and detailed work of art. Nepalese sculptures are famous for small brass idols portraying Buddhist deities. These sculptures are beautified with gold gilding and inlay of precious or semi-precious stones. Religious brass statues can be kept at home altars. You can keep a decorative brass statue in your garden or roof to embellish the area and fill it with divinity.
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