DETAILS
Copper Kalyana Sundaranar
Size (WxDxH) : 3.75 x 1.75 x 6 inches
Finish : Bronze (Lost Wax)
DESCRIPTION
The sculpture is based on the narrative of God Shiva's marriage to Goddess Parvati, a popular scriptural tradition 'Kalyana Sundaram' or the beautiful marriage. The couple can be seen performing the Panigrahana ritual, where the groom accepts the bride by taking her right hand in his. "Kalyana Sundaram”- literally, “the beautiful marriage”, is the bronze representation of the marriage of shiva and parvati the primordial male and female elements, whose union undoubtedly is the most beautiful event, which with all its heavenly glory has been transferred to the panchaloha medium by the Sthapatis, who add to the brilliant coming together of Shiva and Shakti (Parvati), a very moving and human touch, making the Kalyana Sundaram bronzes an eternally appealing part of the Chola bronze tradition.
ABOUT LOST WAX BRONZE SCULPTURES
The Lost Wax Process, also called cire-perdue, is a method of metal casting in which hot metal is poured into a wax model, which is lost during the process. The process is used to make highly detailed bronze sculptures.
In the olden days, the castings were often made in copper, but bronze quickly became the preferred material for statuary, as it is stronger and more tensile. This method of sculpting involves creating a solid wax model of the figure, and then wrapping it in a clay mould. The model is then heated to melt the wax and harden the clay. Molten metal is poured into the inverted clay mould, and upon cooling, the clay mould is broken to reveal a solid sculpture.
Sculptures made using this method are one of a kind, since the mould must be broken to take the statue out. A sculptor typically spends several weeks to months working on one piece, thereby making such sculptures harder to come by, and very special. The very fine detailing and the intricacy of the work adds to the beauty of each piece.
