Trimukha Ganesha

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This Ganapati statue in South Indian art tradition, besides its attributes corresponding to its Trimukha Ganapati form, is remarkable for its very well defined sharp elegant features, tender face, fine fingers and as much fine nails each carved with great precision and finish. The typical South Indian spiral crowns tower his three heads. He has 'tripunda' mark on his forehead testifying his devotion to his father Lord Shiva. His large ears are not seen flanking on sides as they do in many iconographic representations of Ganesh. They are elegantly folded and appended to his face creating great formative balance.

Lofty, rich and elaborate but selected ornamentation defines this unique Ganesh icon. The image has usual 'yajnopavita' around its chest, a broad necklace upon its neck, a girdle on the waist and a sash on its abdomen. The ornaments on its feet and ankles and the bangles on its arms impart to the innocent looking Ganesh icon a feminine touch blended with the child-like innocence. The figure is wearing a 'dhoti' which has the reflection of a lotus leaf. It has well defined folds and colour shading. Three lotus layers constitute the seat for the image. The lowest of them consists of inverted lotuses. The highly raised pedestal the image is stalled on consists of vertically rising lotus stems and a line of lotuses above them.

'Prabhavali' or the fire-arch around the Ganesh image is a special and perhaps the most attractive feature of this art-piece. It consists of a ring of lotuses and is topped by an artistically carved 'Shrimukha'. Its whiskers, flanking like wings of mythological fairies on both sides, artistically balance the entire composition. On its right the fire-arch terminates into a bowl full of 'modakas' and on its left with the mouse, the known vehicle of Lord Ganesh.

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.

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.