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This vast collection of south Indian sculpture brings the world’s greatest artistic tradition to you. We offer sculpture in a variety of materials, each with their own unique legacy in south India. That legacy gives even deeper meaning to the pieces available at Exotic India.
Much of south Indian sculpture is made using a lost-wax process. Here, artisans create a model using wax. This can be easily molded by heating metal tools that sculpt the shape, like a hot knife through butter. Because the wax is so malleable, the level of intricacy in the details is unsurpassed. Pieces of this wax sculpture are then placed in a bed of clay, where a plaster mold can be painted on the exposed side.
Slowly, an artisan builds up the mold. Once completed, the mold is given a layer of wax. This recreates the original statue but with a hollow core, that is then filled with sand and plaster, and plaster is added to the exterior. That final mold is then filled with bronze.
Other statues are made using wood. Wooden sculpture was long the preferred material in southern India. In fact, stone sculpture took a very long time to arrive, especially compared to nearby regions.
Experts believe the long held dominance of wood in south India sculpture gave rise to many of the preferred forms — like strong vertical orientation. It also explains, in part, how much of the material culture of south India has not survived as well as regions to the north. That deeply embedded tradition of wood sculpture makes our selection even that much more authentic to the region.
Our stone statuary also represents a point in the development of south Indian sculpture. The impressive achievements in this material again points to the supreme elegance and sophistication of south Indian sculptures.
Q1. How many idols can be kept at home?
The Vastu states that one should never keep three manifestations of Maa Durga in a house together. That means, never keep goddess Durga, Goddess Laxmi, or Goddess Kali in one place. One can keep the divine trinity of Goddesses – Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Durga. As it can bring upheaval and bad luck to the devotee. If we have the murti of Goddess Durga, then there is no need to bring Maa Kali into your home as they are the manifestation of the same divine power.
It's extremely important to maintain the order of Hindu God statues. Try to place the statues in the order of creation to give them proper importance. For example, keep the holy trinity of gods above all gods as they are the supreme gods and goddesses.
Q2. Which God idols should not be kept at home?
Although an incarnation of Shiva, the idol of Bhairav Dev should never be kept in the worship room. Nataraja is also considered to be the angry incarnation of Lord Shiva. Therefore, the idol of Nataraja should not be kept in the house. The idol of the sun god Shani Dev should also be avoided in keeping the worship in the house. They should always worship in the temples outside. Keeping the idol of Rahu-Ketu in the house is considered inauspicious.
One should never keep portraits or idols of Lord Krishna with Meera/Rukmini and Radha, Lord Ganesha with Siddhi and Riddhi, and Lord Karttikeya with two wives Devasena and Valli. Keeping them could create disharmony and discord in marital life.
Q3. Does Brass turn green? If so, what can be done to fix it?
Since brass is mainly composed of copper and zinc, the copper content when in contact with air, undergoes a reaction that causes it to turn green. This green layer on the surface of brass idols and statues is called Patina. To clean it, you can take the mixture of lemon juice and salt and rub the surface using a clean cloth. You can also opt for various brass cleansing mixtures available in the market.
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