Vina-vadini Saraswati: A Nepalese Version

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As regards the physiognomy of the figure, a four-armed form holding in two of them the ‘vina’, carrying in the third, a text, and the fourth held in the ‘mudra’ – posture, of commemoration, as if turning beads of a rosary : ‘vina’, ‘pustaka’ and ‘japamala’ all are the essential attributes of Saraswati. However, besides the dragon-head of her ‘vina’, design-patterns on her ‘antariya’ – lower wear, character of her ornaments, especially her ear-pendants, armlets and the amulet-type necklace, or her casual sitting posture, the style of her coiffure reveals strong influence of the Buddhist iconography of White Tara. In the iconography of White Tara the coiffure usually carries a tiny icon of the Buddha. Sometimes it is alternated by ‘Tri-ratna’ motif. In both cases the coiffure’s apex consists of ‘Mani’, a term suggestive of the totality of Buddhist dogma which no other term in any language has ever succeeded in imparting in its exact meaning. Obviously, the three knots of the hair, and the fourth, a circular shining apex, in this Saraswati statue represent ‘Tri-ratna’ and ‘Mani’ and are essentially the elements of Tara’s iconography.

Unlike the standard or conventional form of the image of the goddess painted or sculpted as seated on a lotus, goose, peacock … the goddess has been represented as squatting on the floor with her legs turned to back. She has her mount goose, a tiny figure of the bird perching close-by but conceived as carefree roaming around or listening to her ‘vina’ the bird is suggestive of her compassion and love rather than that of its relationship to her as her mount. A most accomplished anatomy with faultless modeling revealing a rare plasticity and divine aura the statute is superb in its beauty and divinity. A sharp nose, large meditative eyes, cute small lips not larger than the chin’s breadth, and the angular chin, on a squarish face define Tibetan/Nepalese iconographic character. Both Saraswati and White Tara have been meditated on as white, moon-like radiant and endowed with divine lustre, which this statue adequately justifies.

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.

How are Nepalese copper statues made?

Nepalese statues and sculptures are best known for their unique small religious figures and ritual paraphernalia for over two thousand years. These are mainly cast in copper alloy. Nepal draws influences from the artistic styles of Buddhism and Hinduism, and therefore the sculptors of the country specialize in making the icons of both these religions. Over the years, Nepalese sculptures evolved into their own distinctive iconography. Some characteristic features of these sculptures that differ from other pieces are exaggerated physical postures, youthful and sensual features, languid eyes, wider faces having serene expressions, and ornate flourishes. The Buddhist deity icons of Nepal have tremendous demand in countries such as China and Tibet for ritual purposes in their temples and monasteries.

Nepalese statues and sculptures have a high copper content and therefore develop a slightly reddish patina on the surface as they age. However, the most unique feature of Nepalese copper statues is their decorative detailing. The pieces are heavily gilded and sometimes inlaid with semi-precious stones. This embellishment protects them from getting tarnished. The traditional lost-wax method for casting Nepalese copper statues remains the most practiced technique in Nepal for many centuries. This process involves many steps and requires skilled artists.

The first step in lost-wax sculpting is to make a wax replica of the desired Buddhist deity to be cast in copper. This replica is created by hand and therefore needs excellent artistic skills otherwise fine features will be lacking.

Once the wax replica is made, it is then coated with a special mixture of clay with a brush. This layer of clay is hardened when left to dry. A small hole is made on the base of the wax mould so that the wax flows away when it is heated.

At this stage, a hollow mould in the shape of the deity is obtained.

This is the time to pour liquid copper into the hollow mould which is then allowed to cool and harden inside a container of cold water. When the liquid metal has hardened, the mould is removed and the statue within is revealed.

The artist works on the details of the statue using various tools. It is then polished to get a shiny and lustrous surface.

Now comes the most important part of Nepalese art which is gold gilding. This is done by the traditional fire gilding method. A mixture of mercury and 18K gold is applied on the surface of the statue and heat is applied using a flame torch. The result is that mercury evaporates along with impurities, leaving a pure 24K gold finish.

The lost-wax method of sculpting is the most preferred technique

for artists to cast a metallic statue having intricate details. Since Nepalese copper sculptures require extraneous effort for giving a majestic look by adding special embellishments, it takes several weeks to complete one masterpiece. A 24K gold gilded copper sculpture retains its brilliant luster for many years and appears as like before. Nepalese sculptures continue to remain one of the finest specimens of the art of the East that have a strong aesthetic appeal that other sculptures cannot match.