Navaneeta Krishna

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Krishna, Lord Vishnu’s absolute incarnation, is the most popularly worshipped Vaishnava deity. His images as child Krishna – mostly metal cast, one holding in one of his hands a ‘laddu’, and another, holding a pot of butter, named respectively as ‘Laddu-Gopala’ and ‘Navaneeta Krishna’, are his most loved icons for domestic shrines. This wood-carving represents the theme of Navaneeta Krishna in a different medium and with a larger size, as also with a different frame of mind. Unlike his sanctum images, this wood-statue, conceived with an aesthetic vision, has neither mystified nor mythicised its subject nor has loaded it with much of divinity; rather he has let a secular spirit pervade it. As if cast of a metallic alloy : gold for lustre and splendour and copper for strength and retaining details, this form of child Krishna : somewhat plumpish and full of innocence, is far more lovable and even veneration-inspiring than are even his divine images.

Tanjore artists have created a large range of Navaneeta Krishna icons. In most of them the child Krishna is represented as mischievously blinking his eyes and bewitching by his innocent smile after he has grabbed the pot of butter and has taken out from it a handful of its contents to swallow it unnoticed. However, this wood-statue does not have in its eyes that mischievous blink, nor on its lips the Tanjore paintings’ like bewitching smile. Far from those Tanjore elements of the child Krishna’s iconography the figure of Navaneeta Krishna in this statue has deep meditative eyes and a thoughtful demeanour of face. He has condensed the butter that he has in his right hand as a ‘laddu’ but his face hardly reveals any hurry, or even the desire, to swallow it. Rather, he seems to be pondering what he should do of it.

The image of Navaneeta Krishna has been installed on a high lotus-pitha – base or plinth. There are on this lotus-pitha a number of cows that hold on their heads a simple hexagonal wooden plaque which the figure of Navaneeta Krishna enshrines. The cows, representing the earth, are looking at the blissful child Krishna, their saviour, with hope and gratitude. The lavishly bejewelled figure of Krishna has been carved against a large beautifully incised medallion, which serves as both, a large halo as also a gorgeous backdrop. The child has over his head a splendid canopy which none other that the Great Serpent Shesh affords by extending over it its five-hooded head. The pot-like large and rounded turban, not merely with a peacock feather tucked on it but also a live peacock perching around, is perhaps the most quaint element of this Navaneeta Krishna’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.