On an inverted lotus as delicate as herself, stands a youthful maiden who appears to have just arrived at the threshold of her blossoming and is presented in this Panchaloha bronze sculpture as the “Darpanika” or mirror lady.
The lady with a mirror figure can be witnessed on the temple walls of Hindu sanctums, which they adorn with their divine beauty and supple postures.
With a mirror in one hand, attired in exquisite adornments and dresses, giving final touches to their ornamentation, Darpanika icons are a visualization of the eagerness and warmth of the female heart, moments away from uniting with her beloved.
This bronze lady with a mirror has her limbs gracefully positioned in the Tribhanga (triple bent) posture, which accentuates her natural beauty and calls attention to the allure she carries. The lady has her hair knotted simply which can be seen on the reverse of the Panchaloha. An ornate Chudamani (hair ornament) sits atop her hair, multiple necklaces and channavira (thread-like ornament) highlight her torso tastefully and a tasseled girdle clings to her waist, holding her diaphanous dhoti in place.
The tassels of her ornaments, scarf, and dhoti are adorned with a peacock feather motif, stylistically framing the lissome stance of the lady with the mirror. Her facial features are perfect- arched eyebrows, large eyes, sharp nose, delicate lips, and round and soft countenance. A pride-worthy roopa (beauty) the lady adores in the Darpana (mirror) she holds in her hand. Her right hand, with fingers, slightly parted and elegantly delineated, is placed on her head, in the manner of applying vermillion or adjusting her hair strands. The former type of iconography, where celestially beautiful ladies apply vermillion or sindoor in their hair-parting is more popular in Indian art and is seen as a symbol of auspiciousness.
With a measured polishing and engraving on this Panchaloha bronze sculpture, the brilliance of the youthful female form is unveiled mesmerically. The contrast between the modest adornment of her upper body and the detailed engravings on her legs create an appreciable aesthetic effect. Tiny lines on the waist underline the gentle flesh folds of the Sundari (beautiful lady) which combined with the pleasing smile on her face, enlivens this bronze lady with a mirror statue. Emerging from a solid bronze lotus platform with the springiness of a floral stalk, the lady with a mirror brings with her the magical ambiance of Sringaara Rasa (the romantic emotion in Indian art and aesthetics).
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