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Gray Marble Carving of Lord Shiva Dancing on the Dwarf of Ignorance, Apasmara, with 6 Arms 22"
Item# 93gm44
Gray Marble Carving of Lord Shiva Dancing on the Dwarf of Ignorance, Apasmara, with 6 Arms 22"
Item# 93gm44
3428 Store Reviews
Statue Details
Materials: Indian Durkey, Grey Marble Hand Carved in Mamallapuram, India
Total Height Including Base: 22 inches or 56 cms
Base Width & Depth: 10 x 4 inches
Weight: 36 pounds or 16 kgs
- The Hindu God of destruction, Shiva dances upon the back of the dwarf, Apasmara, who has fangs for teeth and two horns and holds a cobra
- He has 6 arms which hold a drum, skull cup, trident and a cobra with his other hands in the abhaya mudra or "fear not" gesutre which is meant to dispell fear with his final arm across his chest
- The artist of this piece, Ellumalai has recently passed away, click here to read more about him and his work here >
- Shiva is a one of a kind sculpture hand carved from one piece of marble by the grey marble artist, Ellumalai and completely one-of-a-kind, for indoor use only, you will receive this exact statue with your order
Shiva dances on the back of the dwarf, Apasmara, who has fangs for teeth and two horns and holds a cobra. Apasmara represents negative forces or ignorance and by dancing on Apasmara, Shiva is believed to be stomping out ignorance from the world. Shiva has 6 arms which hold a drum, skull cup, trident and a cobra with his other hands in the abhaya mudra or "fear not" gesutre which is meant to dispell fear with his final arm across his chest. He wears a beautiful, conical shaped crown with a godly halo or chakra framing his handsome face.
Care: Grey marble is a delicate stone which gives the artist the ability to carve very fine details in it as one can see by the beautiful detail work done on all these statues. When cleaning the statue it is best to use a clean paint brush or a cotton cloth to go over the piece and effectively remove all the dust. DO NOT USE OIL of any type as this will seep into the stone and discolor the statue.
I always say to our customers;
The sculpture chooses you, you do not choose the sculpture.
You just know when you find the right piece to bring into your home and into your heart. - Kyle Tortora, Founder of Lotus Sculpture
You just know when you find the right piece to bring into your home and into your heart. - Kyle Tortora, Founder of Lotus Sculpture
Shiva the Destroyer (Sanskrit: Auspicious One), or Siva, is one of the main Deities of Hinduism, worshipped as the paramount lord by the Saivite sects of India. Shiva is one of the most complex gods of India, embodying seemingly contradictory qualities. He is the destroyer and the restorer, the great ascetic and the symbol of sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of souls and the wrathful avenger.
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.
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.
Use a cotton cloth and gently buff the surface of the statue to bring out the natural polish of the stone.
White, red and black marble statues are easy to take care of as they just need some annual upkeep to keep them looking as they did when they were first carved. Here are some easy tips to keep your White, red and black marble statues from Lotus Sculpture looking like the gods they are:
- Dust the statue as needed to prevent dirt build up
- To make the statue shine use a cotton cloth to buff the sculpture
- You can use a small amount of natural oil such as coconut oil or olive oil to further polish the sculpture
- Use a tooth brush to get into the hard to reach spaces of the sculpture
- DO NOT TOUCH the painted surfaces of any of the white marble statues. This will damage the painting if done often
White marble statues that are unpainted can be placed outdoors. We recommend keeping our smaller red and black marble statues as well as any painted marble statues in an indoor environment. The red and black marble statues have some delicate pieces that could chip if left outisde. The paint from the white marble statues will not last for more than 4 years if left outside so use discretion when placing your statues outdoors.
Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions regarding your marble statue from Lotus Sculpture, (760) 994-4455 or [email protected].
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.
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