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).
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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