Manjushri - The Handsome Bodhisattva

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Manjsuhri is depicted as a male bodhisattva wielding a flaming sword in his right hand, representing the realization of transcendent wisdom which cuts down ignorance and duality. The scripture supported by the lotus held in his left hand is a Prajnaparamita sūtra, representing his attainment of ultimate realization from the blossoming of wisdom. He is extremely handsome - a resplendent figure, the very embodiment of physical beauty. He has a youthful aspect (kumara), emphasized through the shape and proportions of his body. Indeed, this proclivity to represent the bodhisaatva as a young adult is a characteristic of Nepalese art.

With majestic bearing, and a very gentle expression on the face, this sculpture represents a nearly flawless example of a classic Newar bodhisattva image.

Nepalese Copper sculptures – Their Care and maintenance

Nepalese sculptures are well-known throughout the globe for their distinctive features. The artists of Nepal specialize in making small religious figures, especially Buddhist and Hindu, and ritual objects in copper or bronze alloy. The characteristic features of sculptures of Nepal are elongated and languid eyes, exaggerated physical postures, round facial features, and sensuous youthful bodies. All these features exhibit a high level of skill and exquisite beauty that draw their influence from the artistic style of the Gupta and Pala Empires from ancient India. Nepali sculptures are especially appreciated for perfectly portraying the spiritual cultures of Buddhism and Hinduism.

Maintenance of copper statues

• Since Nepali statues and sculptures are gold-gilded and are also sometimes inlaid with semi-precious or precious stones, using any chemical solutions will damage their beautification.
  
  
• To retain the natural shine and luster of a copper sculpture, it is necessary to dust the piece periodically. This helps prevent the accumulation of dust on the surface that covers their actual beauty. You can usually safely dust it with a soft cloth or cotton ball with the barest amount of cool water. No amount of water should be left off after cleaning.
  
  
• You can also use natural oils such as coconut oil and wipe down every inch of the sculpture with a cotton ball. After applying it, you will notice a beautiful natural shine on the sculpture. This also prevents it from getting tarnished very quickly. You should avoid using any special cleansers that aren’t meant to be used on copper statues. 

The ancient artists of Nepal preferred to use copper more than any other material due to its amazing properties. It is a soft and malleable metal that makes it suitable for molding into any desired shape or form. A sculpture requires a structure with realistic intricate details and copper is an appropriate material for this purpose. Although copper sculptures do not need much care and maintenance, you should not question the need of cleaning them carefully. 

The artist works on the details of the statue using various tools. It is then polished to get a shiny and lustrous surface.

Now comes the most important part of Nepalese art which is gold gilding. This is done by the traditional fire gilding method. A mixture of mercury and 18K gold is applied on the surface of the statue and heat is applied using a flame torch. The result is that mercury evaporates along with impurities, leaving a pure 24K gold finish.