In his Vijay Ganapati manifestation Lord Ganesh has been conceived as four-armed carrying in them broken tusk, elephant goad, noose and a delicious golden mango, as seated on the back of his mouse and as red-complexioned with entire figure glistening with gold’s glow. This wood-sculpture has been rendered in exact adherence to this iconographic vision of Vijay Ganapati. The image has been conceived as four-armed carrying in his upper right and left hands the elephant goad and noose, in the lower right, his broken tusk, and in the lower left, a full ripe golden mango. Though a wood-sculpture, the image has been painted for giving gold-like glowing body-colour with reddish tint. With his both legs curved, one laid horizontally, and other, upwards raised, he is sprawling on the back of his mount. Thus, completely adhering to this Puranic prescription, the statue reveals, besides its great aesthetic beauty, rare classicism and thereby an antique touch.

Vijay Ganapati is one of the most accomplished forms of Lord Ganesh. He is the Lord of victory who bestows success and every kind of bliss. Hence, and in consideration of such wider role, Vijay Ganapati assimilates also Ganesh’s other forms. He is usually also Ekadanta – one tusked, suggestive of single-mindedness and utmost sacrifice, sacrificing even of his body-part for his devotee’s weal, Vakratunda – with curved trunk, one with a firm hold, and sometimes, also Lambodara – pot-bellied, containing oceans of knowledge. Ekadanta ends duality, leads to one-pointed mind and singleness of object. With his long curved trunk he explores womb of the earth, unfathomable depth of oceans, and inaccessible regions of the sky. The pot that he sometimes carries in his trunk, as he carries in this wood-statue, contains the riches that he explored from oceans’ depths. In his pot-belly he has stores for all. These apart, Vijay Ganapati is essentially Vighnesha, remover of obstacles and the supreme god of auspices.

In plasticity, modeling of form, minuteness of details and in creating desired effect, the artifact is outstanding. Prabhavali, rising along two parallel columns terminating into a semi-circular apex, with the image of Lord Ganesh comprising its axis, is the ambience that Vijay Ganapati pervades. The image has been carved with a few but elegantly conceived ornaments and costume. Two symmetrically carved female devotee dancers occupy the Prabhavali’s bottom compartment right under the deity image. The Prabhavali, besides creating divine aura, provides for a beautiful frame around the deity-figure. Lord Ganesh is seated on an enthused mouse, large enough to accommodate him. Absolute composure, a benign face, large ears, a child-like tender limbs and thoughtful eyes define deity's iconography.

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.