SOLD Masterpiece Bronze Shiva Dancing on Nandi 37.5"
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Statue Details
Total Height Including Base: 37.5 inches or 95 cms
Base Width & Depth: 22.5 x 13 inches
Weight: 175 pounds or 80 kgs
- True Indian artistry at work! Look at the detailing!
- Each metal is cast seperately making for an extremely difficult and techinical casting
- The 4 dfferent colored metals gives makes for a striking sculpture!
- Shiva is a hand made, one of a kind, bronze sculpture cast by the artists of South India using the lost wax process, a skill passed on for generations since the Chola period
- FREE Shipping! Freight shipping for Shiva is free inside the USA. International customers will receive $150 off international shipping. Please allow 1-2 days for packing
This magnificent Shiva sculpture is a copy of an old Pala period antique. The sheer energy of the statue is obvious with Shiva so joyous that he is smiling as he dances upon Nandi. Even Nandi is smiling as he peers up to His friend. The ten attendants, who include two versions of Nandi in Human form, Nandikeshvar, Ganesh, Vishnu and Parvati are dancing in ecstasy below with their arms raised in the air in sheer bliss. To be in the presence of Lord Shiva is an obviously a very powerful and exciting experience which is fully conveyed in this amazing statue!
His handsome face has a slight, impersonal smile as if he smile is directed inward rather than out into the world. Between his two eyes on His brow is His 3rd eye which when he opens it emits a powerful beam destroying what is in its path the origin of which saint Sundarar attributes to Uma's playful action in the following poem:
One the Mountain Girl was playing:
happily,
as a game,
she covered his eyes with her hands.
At once thick darkness swallowed the world.
To dispel that darkness, the supreme god
created in joy
the single eye on his forehead.
He wears two different earrings. The earring on Shiva's left is a hoop earring and is worn by men and the earring with a yali on Shiva's right is typically for by a woman. This demonstrates Shiva's respect for women as well as his love for His wife, Parvati.
Shiva has ten arms spread out around him holding clockwise starting at His right hand, a three headed cobra, a small staff, a crescent moon trident, sword, shield, crescent moon trident, skull bowl and cobra. His right front arm is held out in the gahasta or elephant trunk pose with his wrist limp and fingers pointed downward. Above his head are two flying attendants holding a loop of rope. To Shiva's right is the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, seated on her Vahana the owl. The arch itself is an amazing piece of work with beautiful carved designs and 42 small flames burning on the side and one large flame pointing towards the heavens.
The entire piece is made from separate castings of three separate metals, pure copper, German silver or pewter and ice brass. Each piece of the sculpture was cast separately and combined to make one heavenly sculpture! Shiva is cast from copper and Nandi is cast from German silver or pewter. The arch behind Shiva is made from ice brass. The two flying attendants above Shiva are made from German silver. Lakshmi seated on Her Vahana the owl to the right of Shiva is made from German silver. The base is cast from copper. The four attendants on the right side of Shiva on the base, Ganesh, Vishnu, Nandikeshvar and a gana, are all cast from copper. The six figures on the left side of the base include 5 Shaivite saints along with Parvati and Nandikeshvar are cast from German silver, ice brass and copper.
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.
Bronze is an extremely durable metal made from a combination of 5 metals; copper, iron, tin, with minute additions of silver and gold. This combination is called Panchaloha bronze and is the basis for making the sacred Hindu temple statues of India and the world. Copper is the most prevalent metal in the alloy. Copper also gives the metal a softer composition that allows the bronze artisans to carve the details that are prevalent in each piece. All the South Indian bronze sculpture Lotus Sculpture carries are Panchaloham and thus suited for any home altar or community temple.
Because of the durability of the metal not much is needed to maintain a bronze sculpture. Many of our customers purchase a bronze statue and perform daily puja and abhisheka consisting of bathing the Hindu deity in ghee, milk, coconut milk or other liquids. In this case nothing is needed to keep the statue clean as it will be bathed daily. If the sculpture is used for "darshan" or simply viewing the sculpture it is best to dust the statue as needed so no dirt collects in the details of the sculpture. For both polished golden bronzes and antique patina bronze statues if you would like the sculpture to shine use a cotton cloth with some coconut oil or other natural oil to wipe down the piece as needed.
Many of our bronze Hindu statues have been placed in outdoor temples. Bronze's durability makes it perfect for cold winters and hot summers of any climate. We suggest you bathe the sculpture every couple of months so that dirt does not collect on the sculpture and then use a cotton cloth with some natural oil to give the statue a shine. Both indoors and outdoors a bronze statue can be left alone which, overtime, will give the bronze an antique patina.
On some bronze statues you can see small hints of lime green, verde-gris patina. Some people prize this color for its age others want to remove it. If you would like to remove the verde-gris use a tooth brush with some coconut oil or other natural oil and lightly go over the verde-gris. This should remove the unwanted patina from the sculpture.
Polished Gold Bronze: Many temples and homes prefer the highly polished gold bronze for temples or home altars. In order to give the statue a bright polished sheen we recommend using a cotton rag and buffing the piece. An acid like tamarind or lemon juice will help aid this process. This takes time and effort to bring out the polish. If you are looking for a short cut; some of our customers have used a product called Brasso which has been good at bringing a tarnished golden piece back to its golden shine.
If you have any questions concerning your bronze statue please email us at [email protected] or call us at 1(760) 994-4455.
Bangladeshi Bronze is an extremely durable metal made from a combination of 5 metals; copper, iron, tin, with minute additions of silver and gold. This combination is called Panchaloha bronze and is the basis for making the sacred Hindu temple statues around the world. Copper is the most prevalent metal in the alloy. Copper also gives the metal a softer composition that allows the bronze artisans to carve the details that are prevalent in each piece. All the Bangleshi bronze sculpture Lotus Sculpture carries are Panchaloham and thus suited for any home altar or community temple.
Because of the durability of the metal not much is needed to maintain a bronze sculpture. Many of our customers purchase a bronze statue and perform daily puja and abhisheka consisting of bathing the Hindu deity in ghee, milk, coconut milk or other liquids. In this case nothing is needed to keep the statue clean as it will be bathed daily. If the sculpture is used for "darshan" or simply viewing the sculpture it is best to dust the statue as needed so no dirt collects in the details of the sculpture. For Bangladeshi bronze statues if you would like the sculpture to shine, use a cotton cloth with some coconut oil or other natural oil to wipe down the piece as needed.
If you have any questions concerning your bronze statue please email us at [email protected] or call us at 1(760) 994-4455.
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 [email protected] for a shipping quote.
International ShippingThis 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 [email protected] for a shipping quote.
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