Relaxing Ganesha

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The most benign and blissful Lord Ganesha has been portrayed in the statue in his most intimate moments and in great leisure. As reflects in his eyes, though not disturbing his composure, some questions seem to lurk in his mind. Divine quiescence and absolute contentment are the usual bearing of his face but the divine ease – a carefree demeanour, which enshrines his face in this statue, is very rare. Ganesha is the most simple of all deities but the simpleness with which this figure has been carved is rare even to his own form. Carefree he is lying on the mattress like a monarch or royal personage in his ‘khwab-gah’ – bed-chamber. He has under his right arm a huge bolster by which and by his elbowed arm while he supports his heavy figure with the weight and volume of his figure he also holds the bolster in its place not letting it role away.

A simple anatomy : a normal two-armed figure reclining on a mattress with a bolster under his head, the artist has used to reveal the magic of rhythmic curves and twists. While the right arm turns back from the elbow-joint to support his head on its straitened palm, his mildly upward rising head makes with its straightened trunk a downward leap, where, as if corresponding to his pot-belly’s roundness, it twists into a ring. In contrast to the posture of right arm, the left has been straightened along his figure defining it almost in its entirety. The magic continues across the lower part of the figure with the left foot planted firmly on the ground at ninety degree angle, and diagonally, the right, raised skywards. The entire figure has been infused with an absolutely relaxed mood and unadorned simplicity and the artist does not let mythicism or tradition disturb his perception of the most innocent ever benign elephant god.

The anatomy of the figure, rendered with fine strokes, is enormously interesting. Squeezed from both sides his pot-belly has further inflated. The folds which define the belly depict the pressure both from above and below. For evading monotonous flatness the artist has not only diagonally positioned his legs infusing rhythm in them but has also mounted his raised left side by his fully stretched left arm. Like his entire being, and as is the simplicity of form, his ornamentation too is quite simple, balanced and graceful : a moderately tall or rather subdued night-cap like crown perfectly suiting his squeezed figure, a broad necklace and belly-band, both comprising lotus-phalis, a girdle and a few beaded rings around wrists, arms, ankles and feet. His ensemble comprises a simple but gracefully designed loincloth.

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.