Lord Shiva in Divine Dance

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Unlike Vishnu and Kali, the other divine dancers and 'Adigurus' of dance, who danced to a form and theme, Shiva danced, as here, beyond them. Vishnu danced to subdue Bali or serpent Kaliya, and Kali to destroy demons – specific objectives accomplished by confining to specific forms. In his 'anandatandava', as also in 'lasya', Shiva danced for bliss and delight, and in the process effected dissolution and creation – aiming neither of them. Creation is Shiva's ultimate bliss, and dissolution, the essential condition of creation, a festival, and he accomplishes both in dance. Thus, his dance to dissolve is the dance of absolute bliss – the 'anandatandava'. This statue is a superb manifestation of the totality of his dance. In his 'anandatandava', he usually has four arms, and in 'lasya' mode, just two. Here his form has been conceived with six arms, four of the 'anandatandava' and two of the 'lasya'.

The figure of Apasmarapurusha – enertness, as also forgetfulness, personified, under his feet, the upper right hand imparting 'abhaya' and the left gesturing dissolution – release and liberation, are attributes of 'anandatandava'. The locks of his hair unfurl like flames of fire, though the actual flames required to emit from his head, symbolising ultimate energy and dynamism – the other characteristic feature of 'anandatandava', are missing. His 'damaru' – small drum, which he carried in one of his hands during 'anandatandava', is also absent. It is by the sound of his drum that the dissolution is announced, and it is by the flames of fire that the cosmic energy is recycled to create. Absence of snakes, decapitated human heads and over-all boisterousness, and contrarily, the beauty of form, gentle moves, eleganly wore apparel and sublimity on face, are elements of 'lasya'.

Different from 'anandatandava', where the Great Lord has, rising from two of his four hands, flames of fire, symbolising final conflagration, or different even from 'lasya', this form of Shiva upholds his bull Nandi as his standard, as also the deer – erring one, arrested but not punished. He also carries his trident, the instrument to punish with, and the goad, to keep the erring ones to the right path. In this statue, Shiva is not in Ardhanarishvara form, but to better reveal his tenderer aspects, an essential thing for 'lasya', the artist has discovered his feminineness in his left 'karnaphoola' – ear-ring, heavier left hip, broader left breast and thicker hair on left side. An emotionally charged face, with sharp nose, meditative eyes, small cute lips, and a forehead adorned with 'tripunda' mark, and a balanced anatomy define this excellent piece of art.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.

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Sculpting Serenity: Unveiling the Art of Crafting Wood Statues

Wood has been a preferred material for sculptures and statues since ancient times. It is easy to work with than most metals and stones and therefore requires less effort to shape it into any desired shape or form. The texture of the wood gives an element of realism to the sculpture. The selection of an appropriate wood type is necessary for carving. Woods that are too resinous or coniferous are not considered good for carving as their fiber is very soft and thus lacks strength. On the other hand, wood such as Mahogany, Oakwood, Walnut wood, Weet cherry wood, etc., are preferred by sculptors because their fiber is harder. A wood sculptor uses various tools such as a pointed chisel in one hand and a mallet in another to bring the wood to the desired measurement and to make intricate details on it. A carving knife is used to cut and smooth the wood. Other tools such as the gouge, V-tool, and coping saw also serve as important tools in wood carving. Although the wood carving technique is not as complex and tough as stone carving or metal sculpting, nonetheless, a wood carver requires a high level of skills and expertise to create a stunning sculpture.

1. Selecting the right wood

The process of wood carving begins with selecting a chunk of wood that is required according to the type and shape of the statue to be created by the sculptor. Both hardwoods and softwoods are used for making artistic pieces, however, hardwoods are preferred more than softer woods because of their durability and longevity. But if heavy detailing is to be done on the statue, wood with fine grain would be needed as it would be difficult to work with hardwood.

2. Shaping the wood

Once the wood type is selected, the wood carver begins the general shaping process using gouges of various sizes. A gouge is a tool having a curved cutting edge which is useful in removing large unwanted portions of wood easily without splitting the wood. The sculptor always carves the wood across the grain of the wood and not against it.

3. Adding detailing

When a refined shape of the statue is obtained, it is time for making details on the statue using different tools. This is achieved by using tools such as a veiner to make and a V-tool to create decorative and sharp cuts.

4. Surface finishing

Once finer details have been added, the sculptor is ready to smoothen the surface and give it a perfect finish. Tools such as rasps and rifflers are used to get a smooth surface. The finer polishing is obtained by rubbing the surface with sandpaper. If a textured surface is required, this step is skipped. Finally, to protect the statue from excessive dirt accumulation, the sculptor applies natural oils such as walnut or linseed oil all over it. This also brings a natural sheen to the statue.