An exceptionally fine bronze sculpture, created in the ‘madhuchistavidhana’ technique of the lost wax image casting, is this image of Krishna along with the serpent Kaliya. Krishna’s body has been wonderfully rendered in his ‘bala Krishna’ or childhood form, where he is seen huddled under the large hood of the serpent Kaliya, holding onto his flute.
The seated figure of Krishna has been skillfully created, with several ornamentations donning his body, where we see the fold of his ‘dhoti’ being held by his right hand. Venugopala’s flute – from which emanates the musical symphony of pure love and devotion – is held in Krishna’s left hand. Kaliya’s coiled figure is menacingly hooded over Krishna’s child-like figure, and the two images are placed on a raised pedestal.
The juxtaposition of the two icons here – of Krishna and Kaliya – is surprisingly imaginative coming from the mind of the ‘sthapati,’ for his artistic creation shows the two poised in a benign and benevolent moment. This is wholly different from the usual presentations of Krishna and Kaliya, like this bronze work, where Krishna presents his cosmic fury onto Kaliya, and performs a tandava on its hood to vanquish his demonic presence – stopping only when Kaliya’s wives beg of him to spare their husband.
Kaliya had come to reside in the waters near Vrindavan, escaping the clutches of its enemy Garuda. However, the people of Vrindavan were constantly tormented by Kaliya poisoning the Yamuna, and it fell upon the eighth avatar of Vishnu to punish Kaliya. Krishna’s dance over Kaliya’s hood allowed our ‘makhana chor’ here to release all the toxin from the serpent’s body and finally vanquish his presence.
Eternal Brilliance Unveiled: The Mystique of Panchaloha Bronze and Artful Maintenance Rituals
Bronze is a metal alloy that has the primary composition of Copper and Tin. There is also an addition of other metals such as Manganese, Aluminium, Nickel, and some non-metals such as Phosphorus. This composition of several metals and non-metals makes Bronze an extremely durable and strong metal alloy. It is for this reason that Bronze is extensively used for casting sculptures and statues. Since Bronze has a low melting point, it usually tends to fill in the finest details of a mould and when it cools down, it shrinks a little that makes it easier to separate from the mould.
" If you happen to have a bronze statue, simply use a cotton cloth with some coconut oil or any other natural oil to clean the statue. "
A village named Swamimalai in South India is especially known for exceptionally well-crafted Bronze icons of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The skilled artisans of this place use Panchaloha Bronze for casting the icons. Panchaloha Bronze is made of five metals; Copper, Zinc, Lead, and small quantities of Gold and Silver. Zinc gives a golden hue to the finished figure and Lead makes the alloy softer for the easy application of a chisel and hammer. The common technique for producing these statues and sculptures is the “Lost-wax” method. Because of the high durability of bronze sculptures and statues, less maintenance is required, and can still last up to many decades.
Exotic India takes great pride in its collection of hand-picked Panchaloha Statues. You will find the murtis of Gods (Krishna, Hanuman, Narasimha, Ganesha, Nataraja, and Kartikeya) and Goddesses (Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga, and Parvati), and Buddha statues. You can also buy Ritual paraphernalia (Wicks lamp, Puja Kalash, Cymbals, and Puja Flag) on the website. All these statues and items have been made with a lot of care and attention, giving them a flawless finish. Their fine carving detail represents the rich tradition of India.
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