Trimukha Ganesha

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Not merely an auspicious votive icon of rare significance, the artist seems to have had in mind far wider and deeper meaning and cosmological contexts in conceiving in a single wood-piece an icon of Brahma, one of Ganapati’s own, and those of Saraswati and Lakshmi around the figure of the central deity the mouse-riding Ganesha . Puranas talk of Shrashti Ganapati – Ganapati, the Creator, as one of the forms of Ganesha. Such assertion seems to contradict the common theological position which unanimously assigns to Brahma the Creator’s status, though it does not. As acclaim various Puranas, Brahma, when unable to contain unruly ‘ganas’ – cosmic elements obstructing Creation, invoked Ganesha – Lord of ‘ganas’, and sought his help in containing them and rendering the act of creation possible. Ganesha contained them and it was only after it that the Creation was begun, and hence in Creation his role was as significant as Brahma’s. In theological tradition his Shrashti Ganapati form denotes this role of Ganesha in the myth of Creation.

This wood-carving, representing clockwise the icons of Brahma, Ganesha, Saraswati and Lakshmi around the central figure of Trimukha Ganapati, illustrates this myth of Creation. The cycle begins with Brahma who occupies the top right corner. The ‘kirtimukha’ motif – auspicious but awe-striking, comprising the apex of the ‘prabhavali’ symbolises unruly cosmic elements that disrupt Brahma’s act of creation. Perhaps on Brahma’s invocation, there emerges Lord Ganesha occupying in the statue top left corner. Now the clock advances. On bottom left corner emerges Saraswati, the power of mind and self, by which Brahma effects the Creation. Hereafter Brahma’s role is over. Lakshmi, Lord Vishnu’s consort representing fertility, riches, food, prosperity and abundance is now the custodian of the Creation’s upkeep. She occupies bottom right corner in the representation. All four divine figures : Brahma, Lord Ganesha’ mini icon, Saraswati and Lakshmi are seated on large lotuses, symbolical of water, earth and sky, and correspondingly, of all three cosmic regions, and the ‘prabhavali’ that takes off from a multi-tiered lotus pedestal, of the created world comprising trees, creepers, birds among others. They all are seated in ‘lalitasana’, though while Lakshmi has her left leg suspending, Saraswati has her right.

The image of Trimukha Ganapati enshrining the centre has been conceived with three faces and six arms carrying in them a battle-axe, goad, broken tusk, mango, snake and mace, and in side trunks, lotuses, such as carry the elephants in Gaja-Lakshmi iconography. Usually a lotus with golden hue comprises the seat of Trimukha Ganapati; however, in this image he has under him his routine vehicle mouse. A Shrashti Ganapati manifestation, he is not riding the animal. In an effort to contain unruly cosmic elements he is on move which reveals in his figure as the cosmic dance, the divine instrument that subdued, a dance-form to which Lord Vishnu as Krishna resorted when subduing Kaliya.

Whatever its symbolic dimensions, 'prabhavali', or the fire-arch, is one of the most attractive features of this art-piece. It consists of rings of stylised creepers comprising leaves and flowers. It has a lotus base and is topped by an artistically carved 'kirtimukha’. Its whiskers, flanking like wings of mythological fairies on both sides, artistically balance the entire composition.

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.

Click here to view a high resolution image of this sculpture.

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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.