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15" Tibetan Buddhist Deity Vajrasattva Idol | Copper Statue from Nepal

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Vajrasattva, holding the bell and the Vajra near his heart is a powerful image in Vajrayana Buddhism, symbolizing the meeting or union of the bell (compassion, feminine principle) with the Vajra (wisdom, male principle). Together, these two virtues are at the core of a journey to enlightenment. Vajrasattva is thus meditated upon to purify the mind of worldliness and dualist thoughts, to realize the balance, unity, and oneness in principles that seem opposite. From the guidance of Vajrasattva as a Yidam or tutelary deity, the follower moves deeper within and rises to higher levels of pure wisdom.

In this copper statue from Nepal, Vajrasattva appears in his popular form, sitting in the meditative Padmasnaa, adorned with traditional ornaments and silk garments that highlight his youthful form beautifully. With the Vajra adorning his hairdo and Nepalese five-pronged crown framing his charming countenance, Vajrasattva reminds one of the crowned Buddha images as well, which are a symbol of spiritual sovereignty in Buddhism.

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Item Code:	WSA088
Specifications:	Copper
Height:	15 inch
Width:	13.7 inch
Depth:	13 inch
Weight:	6 kg

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How are Nepalese copper statues made?

Nepalese statues and sculptures are best known for their unique small religious figures and ritual paraphernalia for over two thousand years. These are mainly cast in copper alloy. Nepal draws influences from the artistic styles of Buddhism and Hinduism, and therefore the sculptors of the country specialize in making the icons of both these religions. Over the years, Nepalese sculptures evolved into their own distinctive iconography. Some characteristic features of these sculptures that differ from other pieces are exaggerated physical postures, youthful and sensual features, languid eyes, wider faces having serene expressions, and ornate flourishes. The Buddhist deity icons of Nepal have tremendous demand in countries such as China and Tibet for ritual purposes in their temples and monasteries.

Nepalese statues and sculptures have a high copper content and therefore develop a slightly reddish patina on the surface as they age. However, the most unique feature of Nepalese copper statues is their decorative detailing. The pieces are heavily gilded and sometimes inlaid with semi-precious stones. This embellishment protects them from getting tarnished. The traditional lost-wax method for casting Nepalese copper statues remains the most practiced technique in Nepal for many centuries. This process involves many steps and requires skilled artists.

The first step in lost-wax sculpting is to make a wax replica of the desired Buddhist deity to be cast in copper. This replica is created by hand and therefore needs excellent artistic skills otherwise fine features will be lacking.

Once the wax replica is made, it is then coated with a special mixture of clay with a brush. This layer of clay is hardened when left to dry. A small hole is made on the base of the wax mould so that the wax flows away when it is heated.

At this stage, a hollow mould in the shape of the deity is obtained.

This is the time to pour liquid copper into the hollow mould which is then allowed to cool and harden inside a container of cold water. When the liquid metal has hardened, the mould is removed and the statue within is revealed.

The artist works on the details of the statue using various tools. It is then polished to get a shiny and lustrous surface.

Now comes the most important part of Nepalese art which is gold gilding. This is done by the traditional fire gilding method. A mixture of mercury and 18K gold is applied on the surface of the statue and heat is applied using a flame torch. The result is that mercury evaporates along with impurities, leaving a pure 24K gold finish.

The lost-wax method of sculpting is the most preferred technique

for artists to cast a metallic statue having intricate details. Since Nepalese copper sculptures require extraneous effort for giving a majestic look by adding special embellishments, it takes several weeks to complete one masterpiece. A 24K gold gilded copper sculpture retains its brilliant luster for many years and appears as like before. Nepalese sculptures continue to remain one of the finest specimens of the art of the East that have a strong aesthetic appeal that other sculptures cannot match.