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02/21/2006
Buddhist Sculpture from Northern India
Do any readers know about the actual origins of the buddhist sculptures found in antique shops throughout India? No, I don't mean the factory brass produced ones. Some of these peices are very well made and are clearly produced from bronze using the same lost wax method used to make Chola Bronzes. The dealers say they are purchased from Tibetan refugee families in Northern India. My questions: Are these peices still being made or is this a dying art? I understand that in Tibet the Chinese are preventing the preservation and practice of this art. But do people in Northern India keep producing them? Are these items purchased fairly, or are some of them stolen? Is there a place that is the center of this art, like Swamimali is the center for Chola Bronzes? Any insight someone could send my way would be much appreciated.
18:30 Permalink | Comments (3) | Email this
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I believe the best Buddhist bronze statuary comes from Patan(aka Lalitpur) in Nepal. Most of the so-called Tibetan statues come from there and the best craftsmen come from the Sakya family.
Great blog BTW-it makes me miss India!!!
Posted by: hawaiiansnowlion | 02/22/2006
An interesting site showing the casting process in detail:
http://kaladarshan.arts.ohio-state.edu/Nepal/Cast/cast1.html
So the art is definitely alive and well.:-)
Posted by: hawaiiansnowlion | 02/22/2006
Thank you for this information. But I have to say most of the sculpture I have seen from Nepal is really not of the same quality of those supposedly from Ladakh in Northen India. I think the Nepal statues are now made on a more mass produced scale. Perhaps I am wrong. But clearly there are certian kinds of Buddhist sculpture here in India that is bviously more expensive than those made in Nepal, and quite unique in that each peice brings a very unique finish and character. Are these peices actually antiques as the dealers claim? I am a little skeptical. If they are from Ladakh, from where in Ladakh? Chilling? Are they really bought from families? Hhmmm... Anyone out there know?
Posted by: Yitzy | 02/24/2006
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