Abhaya Shiva Statue Seated on Lion 60"

The life size Shiva wood sculpture is magnificent! He embodies the tranquil and calm attributes of the reclusive Hindu God, Shiva. His kind face has a slight, warm smile. His right hand is held up in the vitarka mudra, which is a gesture of debate or discussion. His left hand rests on his right foot. He is seated with his right leg tucked up beneath him in a relaxed posture. His right foot rests on the head of a tiger. The base is a throne of rocks. The pose looks to be a variation of the pose Shiva takes as Dhakshinamurti, the south facing lord.

Shiva wears Rudraksha beads on his bare breast. His wrists and biceps also are covered in Rudraksha beads. His hair is neatly tucked up into a bun on top of his head. In the bun is a crescent moon. Shiva's hair flows down his back with each hair being individually carved. He wears two large hoop earrings. A cobra is wrapped around his neck and perches on his shoulder.  Snakes are also used to symbolize the Hindu dogma of reincarnation. Their natural process of molting or shedding their skin is symbolic of the human souls transmigration of bodies from one life to another.

The entire sculpture is carved from one piece of wood. The natural coloring of the wood allows the beautiful veins inherent in the wood to show through. The veins are most obvious on Shiva's handsome face, his uplifted hand and legs.

Shiva the Destroyer (Sanskrit: Auspicious One), or Siva, is one of the main Deities of Hinduism, worshipped as the paramount lord by the Saivite sects of India. Shiva is one of the most complex gods of India, embodying seemingly contradictory qualities. He is the destroyer and the restorer, the great ascetic and the symbol of sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of souls and the wrathful avenger.
Shiva was originally known as Rudra, a minor deity addressed only three times in the Rig Veda.  He gained importance after absorbing some of the characteristics of an earlier fertility god and became Shiva, part of the trinity, or trimurti, with Vishnu and Brahma.
Shiva wears a snake coiled around his upper arms and neck symbolizing the power he has over the most deadly of creatures. Snakes are also used to symbolize the Hindu dogma of reincarnation. Their natural process of molting or shedding their skin is symbolic of the human soul's transmigration of bodies from one life to another.
Shiva's female consort and wife is Parvati; because of his generosity and reverence towards Parvati, Shiva is considered an ideal role model for a husband. The divine couple together with their sons - the six-headed Skanda and the elephant headed Ganesh - reside on Mount Kailasa in the Himalayas. 
His guardian is Nandi (the white bull), whose statue can often be seen watching over the main shrine.  The bull is said to embody sexual energy, fertility.  Riding on its back, Shiva is in control of these impulses.
He often holds a trident, which represents the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.  It is also said to represent the threefold qualities of nature: creation, preservation and destruction, although preservation is usually attributed to Vishnu.
As the destroyer, Shiva is dark and terrible, encircled with serpents and a crown of skulls.
Shiva often wears sacred Rudaksha beads, perhaps a reference to his earlier name Rudra.
The crescent moon Shiva wears on his crown, besides being a symbol of Kama the goddess of nightly love, also represents the bull, Nandi, a fertility symbol.
Shiva holds a skull that represents samsara, the cycle of life, death and rebirth.  Samsara is a central belief in Hinduism.  Shiva himself also represents this complete cycle because he is Mahakala, the Lord of Time, destroying and creating all things.
Shiva is represented in a variety of forms.  One such form is as a lingam.  The ovoid shape is a representation of the absolute perfection of Lord Shiva - if that which is beyond form had to be given form, the lingam would be the closest form to the mystical experience of the absolute perfection of Shiva.   Shiva is often pictured in a pacific mood with his consort Parvati, as the cosmic dancer Nataraja, as a naked ascetic, as a mendicant beggar, as a yogi, and as the androgynous union of Shiva and Parvati in one body (Ardhanarisvara).
Another example of Shiva's apparent synthesis of male and female attributes is seen in his earrings.  He wears one earring in the style of a man and the other as a female.
Shiva's third eye is a symbol of higher consciousness.  It is also a weapon he uses to destroy his enemies by emitting a fire missile which has the power to incinerate the three worlds.  He can also kill all the gods and other creatures during the periodic destruction of the universe.  Shiva's third eye first appeared when Parvati, his wife, playfully covered his other two eyes, so Shiva opened his third eye emitting his destructive missile endangering the three worlds.

Wood statues are easy to take care of as they just need some annual upkeep to keep them looking as they did when they were first carved.  All the wood used by Lotus Sculpure's artists is dried out for months.  Moisture causes cracks in the sculpture as the wood contracts and expands in different temperatures.  Our wood has little to no moisture in it assuring that the sculpture is not going to crack in its journey into different climates.  Here are some simple tips to keep your statue in good condition:

• Dust the statue as needed to prevent dirt build up
• To make the statue shine use a natural wood cleaner and a cotton cloth to buff the sculpture
  

We prefer Old English to polish and buff our statues.  The use of a wood polish like Old English will keep the wood looking fresh and keep the colors looking vibrant.  For natural wood and painted wooden statues we recommend Old English for lighter woods.  For darker wood statues we recommend Old English for darker woods.  Lotus Sculpture cleans and polishes each  wooden statue prior to shipping them to the customer.

We recommend keeping wooden statues in an indoor environment.  Wood statues can go outside however, they will wear more quickly and develop an antique appearance.  If you would like to put a wood statue from Lotus Sculpture outside and keep the same appearance of the sculpture we would recommend first coating the statue with a couple of layers of sealant or polyurethane.  We would then recommend placing the statue in a partially covered area.  The more exposure to the elements the more the statue will wear over time.   Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions regarding your wooden statue from Lotus Sculpture, (760) 994-4455 or info@lotussculpture.com.

USA Shipping

---

This sculpture is in our Greenwich, CT warehouse store and ready for immediate packing. Shipping is calculated from Greenwich, CT after the purchase. This piece is too heavy to ship via UPS ground and will be shipped using an international freight service. Typically we use TNT Special Services as they give the most competitive rates. Approximately 3 working days are needed to pack the sculpture in its own custom wood crate. If you place your order online shipping will show in the order as $0. Shipping will be calculated based on the weight of the sculpture and the distance from Oceanside, CA to determine the shipping price. The shipping quote will be emailed to you and no charge will be made without your approval. Shipping will then be added to the total after the order is placed. Please call 760-994-4455 or email us info@lotussculpture.com for a shipping quote.

International Shipping

---

This sculpture is in our Greenwich, CT warehouse store and ready for immediate packing. Shipping is calculated from Greenwich, CT after the purchase. This piece is too heavy to ship via UPS ground and will be shipped using an international freight service. Typically we use TNT Special Services as they give the most competitive rates. Approximately 3 working days are needed to pack the sculpture in its own custom wood crate. If you place your order online shipping will show in the order as $0. Shipping will be calculated based on the weight of the sculpture and the distance from Oceanside, CA to determine the shipping price. The shipping quote will be emailed to you and no charge will be made without your approval. Shipping will then be added to the total after the order is placed. Please call 760-994-4455 or email us info@lotussculpture.com for a shipping quote.