Antique Indian Bronze Lost Wax Lamp of Hindu Goddess of Wealth Lakshmi Statue 6.5"
- Calculate Shipping Rates Worldwide
- This small antique deepa Lakshmi statue was used in remote village settings for puja worship and for bringing good luck to a family home
- Lakshmi holds a set of 5 deepams. It is possible to fill each deepam with a small portion of oil or ghee and a small wick and light the wick to make a candle
- The sculpture has a handle behind Lakshmi that makes it easy to pick the statue up while the deepams are lit
- This antique Deepa Lakshmi is being sold from the personal collection of Matthew Friedman, it was purchased from an antique dealer in Dhaka, Bangladesh between 1999-2001 when he worked for USAID in Dhaka
This statue is from the private collection of Matthew Friedman. Matthew has lived and worked in Asia for the past twenty five years. During this period, he was posted as a diplomat for the US Government (USAID) and the United Nations in Nepal, Bangladesh and Thailand. Friedman has written three books related to Asian art: one book on traditional metal casting techniques in Bangladesh, and two books profiling traditional brass and bronze antiques from Nepal. Over a twenty year period, Friedman has amassed a large collective of brass and bronze items from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Laos. Friedman periodically presents at museum and art society events on the topic of how the lost wax method is used to make traditional Buddhist and Hindu statues. This statue was purchased from antique dealers in Dhaka, Bangladesh where Matthew was the head of USAID.
Matt Friedman is a focused on raising awareness on human trafficking in the world and has given 2 TED talks on the subject. View the most recent TED talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUR_yFYDtOo
You just know when you find the right piece to bring into your home and into your heart. - Kyle Tortora, Founder of Lotus Sculpture
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.
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.
USA Shipping
This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping. The shipping charge is automatically calculated by UPS for shipping within the United States. Each sculpture is usually shipped within 24 hours of the order with the exception of the weekend.
You can obtain a shipping quote for any statue by clicking the link, Calculate Shipping beneath to the Add To Cart button on every statues' page. Besides the shipping price, the results will also display the date the statue will arrive at your home. Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.
International Shipping
This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping to anywhere in the world. International shipping charges will be calculated automatically upon checkout.
You can obtain a shipping quote for any statue by clicking the link, Calculate Shipping beneath to the Add To Cart button on every statues' page. Or you can email [email protected] or call us 760-994-4455 to receive a shipping quote. Please include the item number of the statue you are interested in purchasing as well as your country and postal code. Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.