In April 2011, an Easter Island Head replica, or Moai, was carved out of an 11-foot Torrey pine stump in Encinitas’ Swami’s Park. This sculpture was declared a temporary public work of art, due to the nature of the carved material and environmental decay. Over a year later, the statue still stands proudly, showing only some signs of beetle infestation. The sculpture at Swami’s is a beautiful and fitting representation of the original Polynesian monolithic statues carved from stone, mostly between the years 1250 and 1500 CE, on the Chilean Easter Island. The Moai were created by the indigenous Rapanui to honor their deified ancestors. They are commonly referred to as “tiki” or “Easter Island heads”, due to their disproportionate size, although they are whole-body statues. Moai are known for their large, broad noses, strong chins and rectangle-shaped ears. Normally, the statues are in a squat position, with arms resting. The iconic sculptures have been theorized in the news recently. According to a report in the July issue of National Geographic, a study suggests that the massive stone heads were ‘walked’ with ropes by the natives, from the main quarry to stone platforms around the island’s perimeter. Much mystery and intrigue has surrounded Easter Island and the transportation of the original 33-foot tall, 80-ton structures. Rapanui lore says that the Moai, animated by mana, a spiritual force conveyed by powerful ancestors, were not transported; they walked. Given the history the Rapanui endured, such as, famine, civil wars, slave raids and deforestation, the resilience of the Swami’s Easter Island head sculpture is appropriate. Attempts will be made to preserve the wood statue, but only time will tell, if and when, nature will get the best of it.
View Lotus Sculpture’s Large Moai Sculpture for Sale
“Because of the durability of the metal not much is needed to maintain a bronze 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 statues Lotus Sculpture carries are Panchaloham and thus suited for any home altar or community temple.
Before MahasaraswatiSouth Indian Bronze Statue with verde gris patina
After MahasaraswatiSouth Indian Bronze Statue cleaned with coconut oil.
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 would like the piece to shine use a cotton cloth with some coconut oil or other natural oil to wipe down the bronze statue.”
If you have any questions concerning your bronze statue please email us at [email protected] or call us at 1(760) 994-4455.
I met Balan on my 2nd trip to India in 2001. Balan was somewhat of a celebrity among the Indian stone artists of the small fishing village of Mamallipuram, India because he had a golden tongue that could seal the deal with any of the visiting tourists for exporting any of the furniture or statues they purchased locally. His celebrity brought me knocking to his door one evening looking for someone to help me export the statues that I purchased for my budding company Lotus Sculpture.
He is a character taken right out of a Bollywood movie cast as the criminal or crime boss.
My first thought as I saw Balan was; “Thug”. He is a broad boned, heavyset man with balding hair, gaps in his teeth, and skin the blackest color of night. He is a character taken right out of a Bollywood movie cast as the criminal or crime boss. I’m not going to say I trusted him immediately because I didn’t. That took time. His bachelor pad as he referred to it was a rented three-room space that was formerly the town jail complete with bars in the windows and that feeling that some unsavory things took place there. This only assisted my first impressions of my future shipper. Balan was also a budding artist who had two marble artists in his employment. I looked at his marble work and was impressed. That night we worked over some of the details of my export and his golden tongue went to work on me and I was won over by his sense of humor and keen business acumen. Today he is my best friend in India.
Balan with his two daughters Adittya and Akash
With each passing year, Balan’s business has continued to grow. From day one we forged a strong business relationship where I would pretty much buy every Hindu marble statue he produced. I was his only customer. His work he called “Masala statues” where he would mix together different aspects of different gods in poses that were not typical and never produced before. His work was fresh and new and I loved it. With each passing year I would see how much he had grown and each time he would thank me and tell me it was all from me. I was, after all his only customer. View Balan’s red marble and black marble Hindu Statues.
Now Balan is married to his wife of 6 years, Aril. He has two adorable children, Akash 2, and Adittya 5, and a workshop of 30 men working for him. Akash is an eater. When I first held her she tried to bite me by taking a nibble out of my arm I guess it was her only defense against her older sister. Addy is a talker and continually speaks to me in Tamil even though I don’t understand a word. Both love photos and on each visit to the house they would take out pictures of me holding them when they were babies and keep putting them under my nose to look at. Their little friends in the neighborhood call me the “big white man”. Akash got very confused because she thought my name was “uncle”. She asked Balan who is a “big white man”? in her high pitched little girl’s voice and we had a laugh over this.
My favorite days in India consist of sitting under his large Banyan tree he has in his workshop/home with Akash and Addy crawling around causing trouble, which is what we did this Sunday. It was unbearably hot so we just stayed put and played with the kids as we talked about future plans for each other. His workshop has grown so much in the past couple of years. I am no longer his only customer. He is building a temple in Mumbai and is starting on plans for a temple in London! It is amazing how much has changed in 10 years.
Sometimes I feel like I have a double life. I have my life in the USA consisting of my family and friends. Then I have my life in Asia filled with a different group of family and friends. Most of the artists I work with are similar in age to me and thus I have grown as they have grown. As each has married and had children I have been there to see them as babies and watch them grow up. Having Addy and Akash crawling around me like I am a jungle gym calling out “uncle” whenever they want to get my attention fills me with love for them. The connection to my artists and their families only grows with each trip I take. I am so thankful for having these special relationships halfway around the world. They are my 2nd family and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Things have come so far since my first meeting with Balan in his bachelor-pad, jail cell home. My “thug” best friend has a beautiful family and business is great! I couldn’t be happier for him!
Balan and I together with a seated Hanuman sculpture
On a rather sad note I found out that Guru, my taxi driver for the past 6 years, pictured on the right, passed away from a heart attack two months ago. He was one of the happiest people I have ever met. He was only about 4 foot 10 inches tall and had to reach down to touch the pedals of the car. He always had a big devilish grin on his face with big gaps in his teeth you could drive a car through. His main one liner to me was “Kyle, are you Happy?” as he winked, held his thumb up and smiled displaying his naughty grin. He did this about 5 times a day just to make sure I was happy… The taxi rides of this trip were not the same without him. He was sorely missed. Balan & Guru enjoy an afternoon Thali, lunch, while on a buying road trip in Mysore, India
I met Vardaraj, Varun, and Sini 8 years ago in the first years of Lotus Sculpture. Varadaraj is the eldest, Varun is in the middle and Sini is the baby. They were three kids who just broke away from a bronze collective they were apprenticing at for the past ten years to start their own bronze collective. I was their first customer. Immediately I could see they were different. They were young, loved making bronze statues, and had big ideas for their future. I saw myself in them as we both were striving towards the same goals. In our first meeting I also discovered Varun, the middle-aged brother wanted to be in Kung foo movies. I still remember that exchange when he told me his future plans. “Like Jackie Chan!'”, he said eagerly. I made him repeat it several times as I really couldn’t believe my ears and in the end came the conclusion that this tall, muscular kid from Swamimalai had bigger dreams outside of the bronze casting business. Everyone can dream! From that day on my relationship and love for the Kung Foo Brothers, as I started to refer to them, has grown 100 fold. They are part of my Indian family!
23 foot Nataraja is its earthen mold ready for casting!
Immediately I could see they were different than other bronze artists. They were young, loved making bronze statues and had big, ambitious plans for their future
Vardaraj, the oldest, had a different dream. Besides casting the best statues Swamimalai has to offer he wanted to make the world’s largest Nataraja statue. After arriving at his workshop this afternoon I saw how close he is to realizing his dream. The Nataraja is ready for casting! The Nataraja is 23 feet tall and will weigh a total of 10 tons of pure bronze! View this amazing Nataraja! After we climbed over the enormous mold of the Nararaja I then moved inside to view my, more modest bronze statues. They are experts at the Nataraja form and I took in the 4 Natarajas I commissioned. Each a perfect representation of Shiva’s dance of destruction. In each statue, Shiva is suspended upon the prostrate dwarf, Apasmara, like he is flying, light as a feather. In my opinion, there is no statue form as fine as a Nataraja with perfect proportions. It will always take a little of my breath away to see a masterpiece Nataraja as Varadaraj is so adept at creating!
Varun and Varadaraj working on a wax model of Ravendra
I spent two days with the family and enjoyed their youthful, smiling mother’s, “Mama’s” cooking for lunch each day. It is always my favorite meal in India a mixture of prawn curry, chicken masala, and coconut rice that is impossible to find made with such love at any restaurant. I bought them an iPhone which we spent a couple of hours figuring out the inner workings to the phone. I love watching the interplay between the three brothers. They are so close I really think they can read the mind of each other. Whenever they are sitting together they have an arm over each other’s shoulder, whispering into the others’ ear. I often feel like I am intruding as their exchanges feel so private and personal.
While roaming around the now 30 workers Varadaraj now has working for him, I took many videos of the lost wax method process to show in more detail how south Indian bronze statues are made. The process is incredibly long and tedious with 5 separate steps. I thought video is the best way to illustrate with bronze statue making process. People oftentimes say the prices of bronze are too high on Lotus Sculpture. I know that when one fully understands the entire process and the overall work that goes into the making of one bronze statue you will wonder why they are so inexpensive! I will be adding these and many other videos to our site and youtube channel in the coming weeks.
By far my favorite piece of news I have received on this trip was that Varun has received a role as the hero in an action film in Chennai that starts filming in two months!!! He will be a Kung foo hero, like Jackie Chan!!! I literally jumped off the ground when he told me this. I am so happy for him. I love it when people have dreams and make them into realities. The Kung foo brothers are dreamers and I am very happy to call them my friends.
For a limited time we are offering free UPS Ground shipping on all orders within the 48 States. International customers will receive a 40% discount off the price of shipping. This discount will be extended to our Canadian customers as well!
Items weighing over 150 pounds including packing materials will be shipped using a freight service. Domestic Freight will be discounted by 35%!
In April 2011, an Easter Island Head replica, or Moai, was carved out of an 11-foot Torrey pine stump in Encinitas’ Swami’s Park. This sculpture was declared a temporary public work of art, due to the nature of the carved material and environmental decay. Over a year later, the statue still stands proudly, showing only some signs of beetle infestation.
