27" Lord Ganesha Dancing on Seven-Hooded Serpent Shesha | Handmade | Madhuchista Vidhana (Lost-Wax) | Panchaloha Bronze

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The 100^th Adhyaya or chapter of the Ganesha Purana narrates to us the intriguing tale of the Naga Kanyas (daughters of the Nagas or snakes) who were enchanted by the celestial aura of Sri Ganesha and invited him to their abode. They entreated the great god with various fragrant and pleasing offerings and asked Him to come to meet their father, the Naga Raja or King of Serpents Vasuki. Mayureshwara, the lord of Mayura or peacock, visited Vasuki’s royal court accompanied by his bird-mount. There, the Mayura amused by the glittering “Mani” or jewel studded in the hood of Vasuki, sat on his head and plucked the shining gem out. This led to a ruffle that ended with Ganesha picking the proud Vasuki up and making an ornament out of him. The serpent residents were furious with this disregard of their king, and went to the great serpent Adi Shesha, with the wish to obtain revenge and save Vasuki.

Shesha-Naga, with the army of snakes, attacked Mayura, who fought ferociously but was wounded by the seething fire that Shesha released with every breath, which was beginning to threaten the entire creation. To protect the universe from the flames of Shesha’s wrath, Mayureshwara Ganesha jumped and climbed his hoods, and with the innocence of a delighted child, began to dance. Under the thumping feet of the enormous lord, Shesha was pacified and accepted his defeat. The ethereal bronze of Sri Ganesha on the hoods of a snake is the visual narration of this episode of the Ganesha Purana.

Ganesha in this bronze is enjoying his dance of victory on the hood of Shesha Naga, who tormented by the weight of the “Mahakaya” (an epithet for Ganesha), has folded his hands, seemingly praying for the mercy of Mayureshwara.

In the bronze, Ganesha is four-armed, his head high, his eyebrows raised emanating a feeling of the vigor of the victor, this tusk folded pleasingly in which he carries a Mangala Kalasha- an auspicious sign in Hinduism, which is essentially a pot of water with a coconut on its mouth. The divine and unbounded auspiciousness that resides in Ganesha is best witnessed in his immense-looking belly, on which the Lord has two snakes tied as waist-bands. His legs naturalistically delineated to match the plumpness of the feet of a chubby child, are in the Kunchita-Pada posture. The tassels of his dhoti capture the movement of Ganesha in this bronze murti perfectly.

The manner in which the maker has made his chubby fingers look elegant when they hold the attributes, the detailing in the ornaments, and the awareness of the ancient Hindu scriptures seen in presenting one of the episodes of the Puranas with such diligence, shows the devotion of the Sthapatis of this Ganesha bronze idol towards their craft, and “Pilliyar”, a name for the elephant-headed god in the Tamil shrines.

Sculpting Dreams in Metal: The Enigmatic Alchemy of Panchaloha Bronze Masterpieces

Bronze statues and sculptures are known for their exquisite beauty and the divinity that they emit all around the space. Bronze is considered an excellent metal alloy, composed primarily of copper and tin. Many properties make it suitable for sculpting even the most intricate and complex structures. There was a period in history, known as the “Bronze Age'', in which most sculptors preferred to work with Bronze as it was considered the hardest metal. Bronze is especially appreciated for its durability, ductility, and corrosion-resistance properties. India is especially known for its elegant workmanship of skills working with Bronze. The artisans of a town named Swamimalai in South India have been following a tradition of bronze murti making for ages. They use a special material known as Panchaloha bronze to make fascinating icons of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. All of us are allured by the beauty of bronze statues and sculptures but there goes a tough hand in casting those masterpieces with little or no imperfections. Since it is an extremely elaborate process, a sculptor needs to be highly skilled in making bronze antiques. The most common technique for casting bronze sculptures that has been followed since ancient times is the “Lost-wax” process which involves many steps:

1. Clay model making

The making of a bronze statue or sculpture starts with preparing a full-sized clay (usually Plasticine) model of the sculpture. This allows the artist to have an idea about the overall shape and form of the desired sculpture before working with bronze, a much more expensive and difficult-to-work-with material.

2. Mould making

Once the clay model is ready, a mould of the original sculpture is made. This is done by carefully covering the clay model with plaster strips. This step is carried out in such a way that no air bubbles are formed. It takes up to 24 hours for the plaster to dry. Once dried, the plaster is then gently removed from the clay model. The removal happens easily because the inner mould is usually made of materials such as polyurethane rubber or silicone.

3. Wax filling and removal

In this step, molten bronze or wax is poured or filled into the mould in such a way that it gets even into the finest details. The mould is then turned upside down and left to cool and harden. When the wax has hardened, it is removed from the mould.

4. Chasing

Chasing is the process in which the artist refines the surface of the bronze statue using various tools to achieve fine details. This smoothens the surface and gives the statue a finished look. If some parts of the statue were moulded separately, they are now heated and attached.

5. Applying a patina

Bronze sculptures are known for their unique look or sheen on the surface. This may take several years to achieve naturally. Applying patina to bronze sculptures is an important step to make them appear attractive. Working with clay, plaster mould, and molten wax can be messy and therefore sculptors wear old clothes and remain careful. The entire process of making a bronze statue takes several months to complete. Bronze sculptures last for many centuries because of the high durability of the material. Many centuries down the line, these sculptures continue to be appreciated for their majestic beauty.