48" Large Lord Buddha in the Cosmic Colors of Life and Death

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The medium of black marble for this Buddha statue has allowed the sculptor to endow their work with a mesmeric animation, using a fine polishing of the stone that brings an enlivened glow to the icon. The Buddha marble statue is placed on a unique lotus platform whose shape perfectly fits the legs of the Buddha which are folded in Padmasana- a meditative posture. Buddha’s head is pleasingly covered in symmetrical coils which form an elegant bump on the head, known as Ushnisha in the Buddhist tradition, one of the Lakshana (signs) of Mahapurusha (great men). Under his curled hair that provides a lovely outline to his wide forehead, one can observe a tiny bulge between the Buddha’s magnificently curving eyebrows. This is called Urna, which is a small lump of forehead hair, another physical marker of the prominence of the Buddha. His eyes shaped like two lotus buds are half-opened, in the manner of a meditator who is immersed in Dhyana (contemplation).  On his lips which are carved to convey the delicateness of the ideal human form, is swept a soft smile that marks the bliss of supreme wisdom. The elongated earlobes of this marble Buddha statue are an aid-memoir to his days as the Shakya prince when he used to be adorned in heavy jeweled ornaments, which has lost all value in front of the jewel of wisdom that he has acquired.

Buddha’s right hand is raised and placed near his chest in the “Vitarka” mudra (gesture of imparting knowledge) and his left hand is placed in his lap gesturing a state of meditation. The sheen of the polished black marble can be experienced in the glistening limbs of the Buddha, which have been sculpted keeping in mind the beautiful symmetry of the human form. Adorning his splendid body is a greyish-white robe whose neat folds are strikingly depicted in this marble preaching Buddha statue realistically. The appealing contrast created by the white tones of the robe and the mystical black color of the Buddha’s body brings to this marble statue a simple yet rare aesthetic quality. The coarseness of the robes and the smooth finish of the body that they wrap also add to this artistic charm.

The color black is universally synonymous with doom, death, and end while white is connected with purity and life. The marble Buddha statue, a sophisticated amalgamation of black and white, the two extremes is the perfect artwork to represent the beauty of the Buddha and his Madhyama Marga (middle path), which meanders between the excesses and leads to Nirvana.

Marble Mastery Unveiled: The Artisan's Symphony in Sculpting Timeless Beauty

Marble is a soft and delicate metamorphic rock derived from limestone. It is composed mainly of recrystallized carbonate minerals. The appealing appearance of marble gives rise to the making of beautiful sculptures and statues. Jaipur city of Rajasthan, India, is considered the capital of marble carving where various marble idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are made. These magnificent statues are carved by skilled sculptors out of the purest white marble. The slight softness of white marble makes it easier to be carved and chiseled into any desirable form or shape. Another impressive feature of marble is that the calcite has a low refractive index that allows light to penetrate the stone before getting scattered out. This results in bringing a translucent appearance and luster to the marble sculpture. This is the reason why most sculptors prefer to work with marble for sculpting life-size statues that require intricate details, evoking a certain realism to the work.

There is a detailed or step-by-step process of developing the desired structure of a sculpture from marble stone. These steps are:

1. Clay mould

Most sculptors prefer to sculpt a preliminary model out of clay or wax to translate its complex and intricate details into the final stone sculpture with the use of calipers or a pointing machine. The plasticity of the clay mould helps sculptors capture the success of the final sculpture before carving the stone. The clay is moulded into the desired shape or form and this acts as a rough

2. Roughing out

The second step of carving or sculpting is to remove large portions of unwanted marble stone. This task is done by using a special tool known as a point chisel. The pointed end of this tool is useful for splitting the large stone and removing big chunks that are not wanted. Usually, a mallet (a tool similar to a hammer) is used to transfer energy through the chisel to shatter the stone evenly and accurately.

3. Refining the figure

Once the sculptors have determined the general shape of the sculpture, a toothed chisel or claw chisel is used to refine the stone. These tools create parallel lines in the stone to add texture to the figure. During this stage, the rough block of stone has now changed into the general shape of the sculpture.

4. Adding the details

The sculptor is now ready to carry out detailed work to develop a more refined form of the sculpture. Tools such as rasps and rifflers are then used to enhance the shape into its final form. These tools finely create details such as frills or folds of clothing or locks of hair.

5. Polishing

This is the last step in marble sculpting in which the sculptor uses materials such as sandpaper to bring out a natural sheen to the sculpture. The sandpaper is rubbed against the surface to make it smoother and flawless. Sometimes, tin oxide is also used to make the sculpture appear glossy and more translucent.

Marble sculptures are highly durable and can last for many decades if maintained and taken care of properly. They are also extremely weather-resistant and therefore, can be kept outdoors or indoors. The exquisite beauty of marble statues elevates the aura of the space and emanates positivity all around.