Durga in Ferocious Form Subduing Apasmara

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The form of the goddess inherits from the Bengal tradition of the Great Goddess its round face, well-swelled cheeks, wide open eyes, thick overdone eyelashes, thicker eyebrows and body-colour, though in other things, especially its folk character, figure’s modelling and its Vaishnava links it is close to Orissa art school. The Great Serpent Shesh has its five-hooded head extended over the figure of the goddess like a canopy with which she looks like Vaishnavi, the consort of Lord Vishnu; however, the deity’s identity as Durga and her Shaivite links reveal with far greater thrust and beyond every doubt. This blend of different sets of elements continues however further. As the Shaivite goddess, too, she blends the elements of both Shaivism and Skaktism, and further, some from the iconography of Kali.

Though under Shakta cult Shakti is contended to be possessed of Shiva’s all attributes and powers, at least two of his attributes, the flames of fire that burst from his body – the manifestation of his dynamic energies when he is on the peak of Tandava, and Apasmarapurusha over whose figure he performs this dance of dissolution are exclusively Shiva’s. It is only sometimes that he shares these features with Kali when she dances for dissolution. Thus this form of Durga inherits at least these two elements, the flames of fire and Apasmarapurusha, from Kali, if not direct from Shiva. Apart, this image of Durga has been conceived with two fangs, uneven and somewhat flabby breasts and a ferocious bearing which again are the elements of Kali’s iconography.

This image of Durga has been conceived with six arms, carrying in upper two the ‘damaru’ – a double drum, and noose, in those in the middle she is holding a trident and is striking with it Apasmarapurusha, in the lower right she is holding a ‘shula’ – a pointed rod, and in the left, a serpent, all being essentially the Shaivite attributes. She has under her a tall lotus seat which she is occupying in semi-sitting posture, that is, supporting her form on her left foot fixed on the seat and the entire figure hung over it. With his head supported on his left arm Apasmarapurusha is lying on the podium on which lay the lotus seat of the goddess. She is wearing a tall crown and large ‘kundalas’ – ear-ornaments, the features of Vaishnava iconography, and various other jewels and a deeply pleated ‘antariya’ – lower garment. The goddess has a round face with large wide-open awe-inspiring eyes, inflated cheeks, cute small lips, though with their aesthetics distorted by two fangs projecting on both sides, flames of fire emitting from around her head and a ferocious bearing.

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.

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.

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.

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.