Chola Bronze Sculptures
The Bronzes of the Chola Dynasty rank among the world's finest examples of the metalworking artist's skill. Their lithesome grace and overt sensuality combine with a sublime spiritual power to inspire the heart as well as the senses. However, these Hindu gods and goddesses were not mere representations in metal but were, and are to this day, believed to contain the spark of the divine. For uncounted centuries, devotees have believed that when rituals are performed correctly, the gods these sacred sculptures represent enter the dead bronze and literally come alive.
Just as these ancient traditions and rituals continue today, so too the craftsmen who create these masterpieces carry on the craft of the forefathers. Kaalita is proud to offer these exquisite works of art, reproduced using the same painstaking method and materials that remain unchanged for a thousand years. The sthapathi, or craftsmen, remain true to the old ways and are guided by the same ancient unwritten laws of proportion and pose and gesture that guided the hands of their forebears.
Each piece is formed by hand in wax, then molded in fine river clay, baked in fires of wood and cow dung, and cast in molten bronze. Once released from its clay mould the fine art of hand detailing may take months of continuous labor. The piece only becomes truly finished when the master of the workshop ritually 'opens the eyes'. Only then
will this Chola Bronze statue be capable of playing its part in the sacred ritual of dharshan, whereby the devotee not only sees the god within the bronze but, when the god is present in the piece, the god will return his gaze.
Many Chola Bronze reproductions are created, but Kaalita offers only the few that meet our exacting standards of craftsmanship and beauty. We encourage the sthapathi to take all the time they need to create work that lives up to the Chola Bronze's extraordinary reputation.
For more information, please visit us at Kaalita.com
About the Author: Mike Nicholson
Kaalita.com
More articles by vishwa@oliveglobal.com
Print Article | Download PDF | 111 views | Feb 15 2007
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