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12" Krodha Vajrapani - Tibetan Buddhist Diety in Copper | Handmade | Made In Nepal

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$1430

Vajrapani is a personification of Buddha's power in a wrathful aspect. He is one of the three main protective deities surrounding the Buddha, others being, Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri, personifications of Buddha's compassion and wisdom, respectively. His skin is the colour of deep, temperate dusk with dark undertones, a tint that represents his all-encompassing nature. The colourful tiger-skin loincloth, along with his jewellery in silver and red, complements his characteristic complexion.

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Item Code:	ZEM852
Specifications:	COPPER STATUE FROM NEPAL
Height:	12.5 inch
Width:	4.2 inch
Depth:	9.2 inch
Weight:	3.50 kg

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Take note of the authentic glacial area that serves as the pedestal, the lifelike sparks behind the Lord's halo, and the dynamic posture of the richly etched digits. This vigorous masterpiece is done in the colours of blue and gold. Vajrapani stands depicted in blue, his hair in shades of yellow ochre. He is the wrathful Dharmapala in this portrayal, surrounded by flames, he wears a stately crown matched with a fierce tiger skin.

A serpent necklace coils around his neck. He holds a lasso in his left hand to capture the demons. And finally true to his name, his right hand carries the vajra (Tibetan Dorje), or the thunderbolt. In this supremely intricate piece of artistic creation, Vajrapani is depicted as a fierce wrathful deity in the centre of this beautiful Thangka painting. However, we can also detect wonderful representations of the other sacred Buddist symbols.

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.