History of metal
statue Art work in nepal doesn't have any concreat evidence
when it was actually started. Histoy of metal art work
in Nepal dates back to the 17th century AD. The fact
that ruler Amsuvarma ordered a metal crest for the
Changu Narayan Temple in 607 AD proves Stella Kramrisch,
author of "The Art of Nepal," right in her
supposition that metalwork dates back to the seventh
century AD in this region. Early works of the Licchavi
era indicate that bronze was the commonly used alloy
but later creations feature copper and valuable metals
such as gold and silver. Other metal art of the time
include a bronze Buddha Sakyamuni [sixth or seventh
century, see photo] and in a journal, Chinese traveler
Wang Hsuan tse admires the metal art in King Narendradeva's
palace in Kathmandu and mentions that Narendradeva
wore gold jewelry studded with pearls, rock crystal,
and coral: on his belt were golden images of the Buddha.
Metal statue workers in the region used
copper and bronze as well as other metals for casting
and gilding, jewelry, making coins, and setting crystals,
coral, and gems. By the tenth century, metal art is
believed to have surpassed stone in quantity and demand.
Metal work in the higher hills and mountains were
influenced by several civilizations that developed
in the plains of the Indian Subcontinent. It was the
Pala dynasty (750 - 1150) that had a great influence
in areas such as Kathmandu, Nepal, during the late
Lichhavi period (fourth to the ninth century). Local
influences, mythologies, religions, and social requirements
created a great divergence in styles and content.
An example can be the Uma Maheswor (Parvati Mother
Goddess and Lord Shiva) theme that entered Kathmandu
from the South. Local artisans re-created the image
with Uma leaning against her husband and Maheswor
with his arm around her shoulder or waist. Other work
that portray such slight but important changes are
a Boddhisattva Avalokitesvara, a standing Vishnu,
and a Shiva.
It is believed that many metal statue workers
at this time were Buddhist monks working for their
vihara religious schools. As the number of gods and
goddesses increased with legends, outside influences,
and new scriptures, metal workers were kept busy making
more and more deities. Demand of the people, skills
of artisans, and productivity of metal workers also
developed. Goldsmiths decorated temples and made ornaments.
The artists sometimes used a high percentage gold
in bronze, e.g. Tara, seventh century, held anonymously
and there seems to have been contact between metalworkers
of Nepal and the area that was ruled by the Guptas
about this time though styles remained distinct and
unique. Kathmandu Valley had begun to export metal
art to Tibet by the tenth century.
The human figure seems to have reached
a transition phase between 880 and 1200 according
to Pratapaditya Pal, author of "The Arts of Nepal".
Samples from the tenth and eleventh centuries show
slender forms and long, well-shaped limbs and fingers.
These features are in sharp contrast to the more voluptuous
Licchavi sculptures which feature full bodies, broad
hips, and full breasts. Influences that led to the
fuller bodies are believed to have come in from the
Mathura Kingdom. Kathmandu artists before then and
after the influence wore off made human bodies that
were slimmer and less prone to the voluptuous curves
that particularize Mathura images.
The Sena dynasty influence entered
Nepal with Nanyadeva's brief invasion in 1094. The
Muslim influence came in at the end of twelfth century
as they fought to conquer the Indian Subcontinent.
Many artists sought refuge in the remote Kathmandu
Valley and other parts of the Himalayas during these
periods of uncertainty and war. They brought with
them new skills, styles, and technical expertise.
By the fourteenth century, metalworkers in Kathmandu
seem to have come onto their own in terms of imagery,
expertise, and quality in content and execution. Their
clients were usually kings, traders, and priests.
Then began the transition period.
The Licchavi influence was to remain throughout Nepalese
art history and continue on to modern times, note
modern day Boddhisattvas and Manjushree images. Towards
the eleventh century, art was created according to
the descriptions found in scriptures and the dictation
of shamans, priests, and tantrics (example: Navatmaka
Heruka, seventeenth century). Clients preferred art
with religious content or representation of themselves
and their rulers. This trend continued on to the eighteenth
century. A short-lived trend of representing idols
in a short chubby forms came and went. The trend,
however, left a permanent mark among Bodhisattvas
and Vajrapurushas. This trend can also be seen in
Malla era sculptures of Garudas, Karttikeyak and Krishna
according to Pratapaditya Pal. The period of transition
saw a great increase in the use of metal ware (such
as water containers, pots, plates, cups, and bowls).
At this time a caste system that
organized the society into families and clans that
concentrated on specific work such as metal art was
introduced. Metal workers built workshops on the ground
floor of their own homes, a trend which has been continued
until today among some Newari families. The system
of working at home, with workshops on the ground floor,
and specialization in that particular artform by up
to four generations at a time that the young learned
techniques and metal crafting skills early on.
The period of 1200-1382 is least
documented in the history of metal art in this region
and some scholars refer to what went on then as a
continuation of the transitional period. Arniko (1244-1306)
headed for Tibet in 1260 and demonstrated his skills
in metal, clay, and lacquer to the emperor of Tibet
and then to the Chinese Court. He built monuments
and images in bronze and his work is believed to have
left an impression in China. He was asked to build
a golden stupa for Kubilai Khan.
The best metal art of the period
was created during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
Examples include Mahalaxmi (thirteenth century bronze),Vasundhara
(thirteenth to fourteenth century), Buddha Sakyamuni
(fifteenth century). The Kathmandu Valley was divided
into three kingdoms in 1484 after the death of Yaksa
Malla. The three kingdoms were great rivals and their
most successful wars were fought using art and architecture.
Each kingdom tried to create metal, wood, stone, and
other forms of art better than that of its competitor.
Their jealousy and rivalry created beautiful monuments,
palaces, and temples and artists were encouraged and
rewarded to produce the finest work possible.
All traditional arts, including
metal art flourished under the Mallas. As in previous
centuries, metalworkers were in great demand. They
needed to supply temples and vihars, the Tibet trade
was excellent, they made home utensils for the Nepalese
rich, and during the Malla period, due to rise of
tantrism, they had to work hard to supply a new series
of images. Tantric idols challenged artists to look
at a new ways of imagining and deal with greater detail
in expression, jewelry, and clothing.
An exceptional bronze cast of the
Malla period (ending in the eighteenth century) is
that of Raddhilaksmi Malla, the widowed queen ordered
this statue and offered it to Changu Narayan in 1694.
With the coming of the Shah dynasty, the concentration
was on expansion of the Gurkha Kingdom and the men
and the battles that were achieve this goal. By this
time Tibet was ruled by the Buddhist religious leader,
the Dalai Lama. Buddhist metalwork was being produced
in Tibet and in greater numbers. Along with other
cultural texts and influences, Buddhist art was flowing
from Tibet into Kathmandu, opposite to what had been
happening earlier.
Still the work continued, excellent work like the
Garudadhvaja at Dattatreya (Bhaktapur, 1851) and Seto
Bhairava at Hanuman Dhoka, (Kathmandu, 1795) were
produced. Copper became more popular, gold was used
to paint the faces of deities increasingly. Nepalese
sculptures became almost modest in outlook, they featured
simple ornaments, if any, and smooth forms. Nepalese
metal art, historically, did not feature duplicates
and multiple copies of a single image are rarely found.
By the twentieth century, tourists began visiting
the Kathmandu Valley and hundreds of copies of Shakyamuni
Buddha, Shiva, and other deities were made. The trade
became more and more dependent upon tourists and prices
increased beyond the pocket of the people and temples.
Religious institutions were seriously affected due
to significant decrease in contributions. However,
orders came from Japan, Koreas, and Taiwan among other
countries. The spread of the Eastern philosophy in
the West created a greater and more profitable market
for the artists.
Here is the list
of metal statues HimalayanMart offers to carry
out the tradition of metal craft culture in Nepal. |