Three Images of Lord Ganesha

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Though largely the repeat forms except different sections of ‘prabhavali’, one varying from the other in the process of evolution, and variously conceived sitting postures of Ganapati images and the seat-types, the artifact breathes an astonishing sense of variety and freshness. Coloured appropriately, in deep tones or light, and with taste and elegance, the wood-plank looks more like a painted canvas rather than a wood-piece. The palette is not so wide as wide is its colour-effect. A rare application of mind, the light infiltrating from behind has been wondrously manipulated. Around the divine images it creates a glistening frame – an aura of brilliance, while with dense foliage comprising the fire-arch it only enhances a little of its glow.

Besides a base, a traditional lotus pedestal consisting of stylized lotuses and strings, and the ‘prabhavali’ consisting of dense foliage, the entire wood-panel is divided into three parts which are practically the three sections of the ‘prabhavali’. The structure of sides apart, each of these three sections is divided by a partitioning superstructure comprising an arched apex which on its top is a flat roof and comprises the base for the upper section. Thus, the apexes of the lower and middle sections constitute also the bases for the middle and the upper-most sections. The apex of the upper-most section is far more elaborate, though comprising the identically styled vines and leaves, and the similar curls and curves. It has perching on it a pair of golden parrots with tails larger than the parrots usually have.

Three images of Lord Ganesha, conceived with four arms carrying a symbolic goad and noose in his upper two hands and the broken tusk and a mango fruit-type object in the normal two, enshrine these three sections of the ‘prabhavali’ – symbolically the three worlds, as the ‘prabhavali’ is symbolic of the entire cosmos that Lord Ganesha pervades by his auspiciousness. Except their seating postures and seats, all three icons have almost identical features. They have an alike towering crown, broken tusk, trunk turned to left and a sugar-ball contained in its twist, a ‘tripunda’ mark and third eye on the forehead, large ears, small eyes, moderately inflated belly and alike pleated and dyed ‘antariya’. However, while the Ganapati image in the bottom section and that in the upper-most are in ‘lalitasana’, the image in the middle section is in a mode of dance. Though in ‘lalitasana’, the upper-most image has been carved as seated on his mount Mouse, the image in the bottom section has a lotus seat under it. The lotus comprises the seat, or rather base, also of the dancing Ganapati, the image enshrining the middle section.

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.

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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.