Finishing: Stone Setting
The [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting] is adorned with an exquisite array of semi-precious stones, including turquoise, coral, and lapis lazuli. These stones are carefully selected and meticulously placed on the [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting]'s surface, adding a touch of opulence and enhancing its overall beauty. Each stone is thoughtfully positioned using a high-quality adhesive, ensuring secure and long-lasting attachment. The vibrant colors and unique patterns of the stones create a captivating contrast against the backdrop of the [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting], elevating its visual appeal and making it truly eye-catching.
Beyond their decorative purpose, these semi-precious stones carry symbolic significance in various cultures and traditions. Turquoise is often associated with protection and healing, coral represents vitality and passion, while lapis lazuli symbolizes wisdom and truth. The inclusion of these stones not only adds to the aesthetic allure of the [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting] but also imbues it with deeper meaning and cultural symbolism.
The intricate placement of these semi-precious stones showcases the meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into the creation of the [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting]. It is a testament to the skill and artistic vision of the artisans who delicately adorn the statue, resulting in a truly remarkable and captivating piece of art.
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Gold Painted Face
The face of [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting] is painted with gold to enhance its significant features, particularly the eyes, and lips. This detailed painting is essential as it brings forth the crucial attributes of the expression of eyes and lips that metal carving alone cannot capture.
Moreover, the painted face serves as a symbolic and sacred ritual in Buddhism, preparing the statue for consecration and practice. The act of painting the face with gold in Buddhism holds deep meaning. It represents the intention to bring life and expression to the statue, imbuing it with a sense of vitality and presence. The application of gold on the face showcases the devotion and craftsmanship of the artisans, ensuring that every detail is carefully attended to honor the sacred essence of the [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting].
Protecting the Face In the process of painting the face, a special variation of gold is utilized. This variation is transformed into a powder form that can be applied as paint. The gold used is believed to be 100% pure, enhancing the reverence and spiritual significance associated with this practice.
As the face is painted it is highly recommended that the face of the statue is to be greatly taken care of as it requires a very professional and skilled face artist to repair the face of dirt and damages. Commonly to protect it from damage, the statue with painted face is placed under a glass box and it is always covered with a cotton face mask if it has to be moved
Video of Face Painting
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Full Fire Gold Plating
This [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting] is finished with full gold plating. also known as mercury gold plating or fire gold plating. This traditional technique involves the application of a genuine layer of gold onto the [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting]. Referred to as mercury gold plating, it is considered the correct and authentic form of gold plating in Nepal. Despite being more expensive than electroplating, this traditional mercury gold plating is gaining popularity again in Nepal. People are drawn to its authenticity, longevity, and the unmatched beauty it brings to the [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting]. The resurgence of interest in this traditional form of gold plating reflects a growing appreciation for the craftsmanship and cultural heritage of Nepal
Mercury gold plating is a time-honored process where a real layer of gold is carefully applied to the [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting]. Skilled artisans expertly handle the amalgamation of gold with mercury, ensuring precise application and stunning results. This method not only imparts a rich and lustrous appearance to the [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting] but also enhances its durability, allowing the gold plating to last for an extended period.
Detailed Description of Mercury Gilding
The process of Fire Gold plating is both time-consuming and intricate, requiring skilled artisans to carefully apply the gold layer using specialized tools and techniques. Despite the labor-intensive nature of the process, the end result is a stunning work of art that is sure to impress anyone who sees it.
Source wikipedia
Fire-gilding or Wash-gilding is a process by which an amalgam of gold is applied to metallic surfaces, the mercury being subsequently volatilized, leaving a film of gold or an amalgam containing 13 to 16% mercury. In the preparation of the amalgam, the gold must first be reduced to thin plates or grains, which are heated red-hot, and thrown into previously heated mercury, until it begins to smoke. When the mixture is stirred with an iron rod, the gold is totally absorbed. The proportion of mercury to gold is generally six or eight to one. When the amalgam is cold, it is squeezed through chamois leather to separate the superfluous mercury; the gold, with about twice its weight of mercury, remains behind, forming a yellowish silvery mass with the consistency of butter.
When the metal to be gilded is wrought or chased, it ought to be covered with mercury before the amalgam is applied, that this may be more easily spread; but when the surface of the metal is plain, the amalgam may be applied to it directly. When no such preparation is applied, the surface to be gilded is simply bitten and cleaned with nitric acid. A deposit of mercury is obtained on a metallic surface using quicksilver water, a solution of mercury(II) nitrate, the nitric acid attacking the metal to which it is applied, and thus leaving a film of free metallic mercury.
The amalgam is equally spread over the prepared surface of the metal, the mercury is then sublimed by heat just sufficient for that purpose; for, if it is too great, part of the gold may be driven off, or it may run together and leave some of the surface of the metal bare. When the mercury has evaporated, which is known by the surface having entirely become of a dull yellow color, the metal must undergo other operations, by which the fine gold color is given to it. First, the gilded surface is rubbed with a scratch brush of brass wire, until its surface is smooth.
It is then covered with gilding wax and again exposed to fire until the wax is burnt off. Gilding wax is composed of beeswax mixed with some of the following substances: red ochre, verdigris, copper scales, alum, vitriol, and borax. By this operation, the color of the gilding is heightened, and the effect seems to be produced by a perfect dissipation of some mercury remaining after the former operation. The gilt surface is then covered over with potassium nitrate, alum, or other salts, ground together, and mixed into a paste with water or weak ammonia. The piece of metal thus covered is exposed to heat, and then quenched in water.
By this method, its color is further improved and brought nearer to that of gold, probably by removing any particles of copper that may have been on the gilt surface. This process, when skillfully carried out, produces gilding of great solidity and beauty, but owing to the exposure of the workmen to mercurial fumes, it is very unhealthy. There is also much loss of mercury to the atmosphere, which brings extremely serious environmental concerns as well.
This method of gilding metallic objects was formerly widespread but fell into disuse as the dangers of mercury toxicity became known. Since fire-gilding requires that the mercury be volatilized to drive off the mercury and leave the gold behind on the surface, it is extremely dangerous. Breathing the fumes generated by this process can quickly result in serious health problems, such as neurological damage and endocrine disorders since inhalation is a very efficient route for mercuric compounds to enter the body. This process has generally been supplanted by the electroplating of gold over a nickel substrate, which is more economical and less dangerous
Fire Gold Plating In Nepal
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Lost-Wax System
This Avalokitesvara of [chenrezig], Buddhist Handmade Statue, [gold Plated], [face Painted] And [stone Setting] is made by the process of the Lost Wax system. This is a very complicated, time consuming and historic process of making metal sculptures.Which is why it is sometimes called Precision Casting as well. Hence the sculptures made by this process are comparatively expensive. There are many new, advanced and less time consuming methods of casting metal sculptures available as well. But due to the benefits provided by the traditional lost wax system in quality control and customization, we prefer the Loss wax system over Ceramic molding, or sand casting to make our Avalokitesvara.
Below we have tried to illustrate the process of making a loss wax system statue:
The method of metal casting in which a molten metal is poured into a mold that has been created by means of a wax model. Once the mold is made, the wax model is melted and drained away. Bronze statues come to life differently than marble statues. Instead of carving a block or marble, the bronze artist uses the lost-wax technique to make a series of molds, and then pours melted bronze into the final mold to create the sculpture. This method has been around since 4500 BCE.
There are few important steps in lost wax casting process :
Step 1: Sculpting ( It all starts in the studio with an idea, Then figuring out how to realize the vision in clay.)
Step 2: Mold Making.
Step 3: Wax Pouring.
Step 5: Wax Spruing.
Step 6: Shell Dipping.
Step 7: Bronze Pouring.
Interestingly enough Loss wax process is also called Investment casting because after layers have been formed and dried, the wax is melted out of the ceramic tree by using steam (120°C) in an autoclave. This is why it is called "lost wax casting". The majority of the molten wax which can then be regenerated and is reusable.
Before Making statue :At work room making the wax models.
Softening a piece of wax over a brazier.
Relaxing after softening the wax The working environment with works in progress.
Working the face of an Ekajata wax model.
Working the face of wax model.Using a modeling tool to form the face of Ekajata.
Deatail of wax model
The design for Ekajata compared to the Tibetan book on which it was based.Statues Maker Are master in buddhism .
Detail of A partially finished Candamaharoshana (Acala) wax figure made in the Tibetan style.
A finished wax image of Mahakala.
Anthor Finished Wax Model of Shakyamuni Buddha
One of the modelers working in the room shows the Pehar image on which he is working.
The artist showed how the goat , which had been completed earlier, fits under the image. ,
Tej Jyoti Shakya and his wife, Nani Maya Shakya Covering the wax model in a mixture of clay and dung
Pressing the mixture of clay and dung around the wax image.
The board with the clay and dung mixture ready for use.
Model Pieces drying after the initial (dipped) thin layer of fine clay.
Clay-covered model pieces drying in the sun.
Molds waiting to be put into the burnout furnace
The same molds, seen in the previous image, in the burnout furnace
The double row of refractory bricks used to support the heated molds during casting.
The melting furnace and a pile of coke used for melting the metals. Laying the bed of coke in the melting furnace.
The first ignition of the coke.
Checking the coke bed.
The electric blower used to force air into the melting furnace
Beginning to fill the crucibles with scrap copper.
Preparing the bed of burning coke to receive the crucibles
Sorting various metals used in the alloys.
Weighing precious metals that are used in the alloys
Weighing copper from Singapore to achieve a correct alloy.
Different sizes of crucibles and various types of metals to be cast in this melt.
Placing the crucibles in the bed of coke filled with metal are in place.
After the crucibles are in place, more coke is piled around them.
The crucibles are covered with scrap metal to hold in the heat.
The electric fan is then connected.Soon a very hot flame is produced.
The entire furnace temperature goes up to about 1800 -1900 degrees.
Setting up molds in between the refractory bricks to receive the molten metal. Handling the molds with asbestos gloves and bracing them with fragments of bricks.
Pouring the molten metal into the base of a mold
Another view of the artists pouring the molten metal.Detailed view showing the molten metal being poured into the sprues.
Preparing to lift and pour molten metal from one of the larger crucibles.
Cooling a mold containing the recently poured metal.
Beginning to break away the clay mold from the metal casting. The mold breaks away revealing the metal image inside
The first metal image from the day's work.
Examining the image for flaws
Two auras (prabhamandalas), one that cast perfectly and one (in front) that only partially filled.
Opening more molds
Researchers mark specific metal images for future identification.
Cleaning the details of the image with a metal tool.
Sawing off the sprues from Aura image. The sprue metal will be reused in future castings.
Two auras that worked perfectly. The one on the right has been cut off of the sprues, while the one on the left still has the sprues attached.
The finishing specialist begins the finishing process with a set of tools, including a small hammer. to give more detail
The entire surface of the image will be gently hammered to a final, almost polished finish.
The finisher's tools and the work in progress
Finishing work on an image of the Buddha.
Hammering the chest of an image that is being held against the work block
A Buddha image hammered and chased to the final, detailed finish.
Cleaning in a very mild acid bath. The image and prabhamandala are placed in a final acidic bath to make sure the surface is absolutely clean.
Drying the image with a blow torch.
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Brief Introduction :
Of all the deities in Mahayana Buddhism, the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, is one of the most celebrated. He is the lord gifted with complete enlightenment, who refrains from entering the blissful state of nirvana to remain here below and save the living being of the earth. This devotion to the salvation of others emphasizes profound compassion.
Compassion for others had always been regarded as a virtue in early Buddhism, but it had a somewhat subordinate place to wisdom. In Mahayana Buddhism, compassion received an equal emphasis with wisdom, perhaps because the Mahayana was more consciously universal and covered a wider sector of society. In this view of the world, all men and women, not just those leading a monastic life, could achieve nirvana.
Iconography :
Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, is visualized in many forms, with various numbers of faces and arms, and various colors and ornaments. He sits on a lotus and the flat disc of the moon, with another moon disk behind him, reflecting his total purity. Two of his four arms are joined in the prayer position holding the wish fulfilling gem. In his other left hand he holds a lotus flower and in his other right hand, a crystal mala (rosary), which he is using to count the repetitions of his mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum", Hail to the Jewel in the Lotus, which liberates all beings from suffering. He wears the silks and ornaments of a Bodhisattva, representing all his special qualities, and the soft skin of an antelope over his shoulder, symbolizing his complete freedom from violence. He smiles with deep understanding, love and compassion as his eyes look upon all beings.
The four arms and hands signify the four immeasurable:
Immeasurable loving kindness
Immeasurable compassion
Immeasurable joy
Immeasurable equanimity.
Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Boundless Compassion, is the very embodiment and realization of the four immeasurable. The four immeasurable are the vehicles through which Chenrezig benefits beings.
The first two, the inner arms, have palms joined at the heart, holding a sky-blue, and wish fulfilling jewel. This symbolizes that in whatever way Chenrezig manifests to benefit beings, the quality of Chenrezig's mind is never separate from the all-pervasive primal wisdom.
In the outer right hand, Chenrezig is holding crystal beads and moving them the way we use a mala to count mantras. This symbolizes that there is not one moment when Chenrezig does not benefit beings. Like the steady movement of counting the beads, Chenrezig is continuously benefiting sentient beings and turning the wheel of enlightened activity.
In the outer left hand, Chenrezig holds a lotus flower. This symbolizes that in benefiting sentient beings, Chenrezig manifests in whatever forms are necessary in accordance with the mental capacities, circumstances, and aptitudes of sentient beings. Chenrezig may appear in any of the different realms, such as the hell realm or the hungry ghost realm. However Chenrezig may appear, he remains free from any of the worldly stains of the various realms of life, the way a lotus flower growing in a swamp appears free of the stain of the mud. The left hand of Chenrezig, holding the flower, symbolizes that stainlessness.
All the various features of this image have meaningful connections to the wonderful qualities of Chenrezig, and by focusing on these details as we visualize the image in the meditation, we can gradually awaken our own awareness of those same qualities in ourselves.
Practicing of Avalokiteshavara :
The image of Chenrezig that is visualized in the meditation practice is not a real person who happens to be perfect in every imaginable way. It is an image, an imaginary form with wonderful qualities. Chenrezig glows in the dark, Chenrezig even glows in the daylight.
Kalu Rinpoche said, "One does not think of the deity's body as solid or material, made of flesh and blood like one's ordinary body, or made of metal or stone like an idol. One thinks of it as appearance that is inseparable from emptiness, like a rainbow or like a reflection in a mirror."
The particular wonderful qualities that Chenrezig manifests for us are just the ones we need to get more in touch with, as aspects of our own nature, if we want to become an enlightened Buddha, or even if we just want to become a truly compassionate person. We and the image of Chenrezig are two extremes we have flesh and blood bodies, but not as much compassion as we would like to have, and Chenrezig has a body made of rainbows, and boundless impartial compassion. When we put those two extremes together, in the Chenrezig meditation, we move in the direction of manifesting as a being with a physical body, a body of rainbow light and unlimited compassion.
Various aspects of the form we visualize remind us of the most important qualities of this particular manifestation of awakened mind, the qualities we are trying to connect to.
In visualization practice we imagine ourselves to be a Buddha, in this case the Buddha of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara. By replacing the thought of yourself as you, with the thought of yourself as Avalokiteshvara, you gradually reduce and eventually remove the fixation on your personal self, which expands your loving kindness and compassion, toward yourself and toward others, and your intelligence and wisdom becomes enhanced, allowing you to see clearly what someone really needs and to communicate with them clearly and accurately.
Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig is the embodiment of that unselfish urge to look upon each other as loving equals. If you are in need of guidance in healing, unity, unselfishness, or the mastering of fears, you may meditate on the qualities of Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig {as above}, say the mantra" Om Mani Padme Hum".
In most religious traditions one prays to the deities of the tradition in the hopes of receiving their blessing, which will benefit one in some way. In the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition the blessing and the power and the superlative qualities of the enlightened beings are not considered as coming from an outside source, but are believed to be inborn, to be aspects of our own true nature. Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, and his love and compassion are within us.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama said, "Thus the six syllables, "Om Mani Padme Hum", mean that in dependence on the practice which is in indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech and mind into the pure body, speech, and mind of a Buddha."
Origin of Avalokiteshvara : Mahāyāna account :
According to Mahāyāna doctrine, Avalokiteśvara is the bodhisattva who has made a great vow to assist sentient beings in times of difficulty, and to postpone his own Buddhahood until he has assisted every being on Earth in achieving Nirvāṇa. Mahāyāna sūtras associated with Avalokiteśvara include the following:
Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra (Lotus Sūtra)
Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra
Prajanaparmita Hṛdaya Sūtra (Heart Sūtra)
Mahākaruṇā Dhāranī Sūtra (Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī)
Avalokitesvara Ekādaśamukha Dhāraṇī Sūtra
Cundī Dhāraṇī Sūtra
The Lotus Sūtra is generally accepted to be the earliest literature teaching about the doctrines of Avalokiteśvara. The Universal Gateway of Avalokitasvara Bodhisattva This chapter is devoted to Avalokitasvara, describing him as a compassionate bodhisattva who hears the cries of sentient beings, and who works tirelessly to help those who call upon his name. A total of 33 different manifestations of Avalokitasvara are described, including female manifestations, all to suit the minds of various beings. The chapter consists of both a prose and a verse section. This earliest source often circulates separately as its own sūtra, called the Avalokitasvara Sūtra and is commonly recited or chanted at Buddhist temples in East Asia.
Origin of Avalokiteshvara : Tibetan account :
In the Tibetan tradition, Avalokiteśvara is seen as arising from two sources. One is the relative source, where in a previous eon (kalpa) a devoted, compassionate Buddhist monk became a bodhisattva, transformed in the present kalpa into Avalokiteśvara. That is not in conflict, however, with the ultimate source, which is Avalokiteśvara as the universal manifestation of compassion. The bodhisattva is viewed as the anthropomorphised vehicle for the actual deity, serving to bring about a better understanding of Avalokiteśvara to humankind.
Seven forms of Avalokiteśvara in Tibetan Buddhism:
Amoghapāśa: not empty (or unerring) net, or lasso.
Vara-sahasrabhuja-locana / Sahasrabhujasahasranetra: 1000-hand and 1000-eye,
Hayagriva: with the head of a horse
Ekadasamukha: with 11 faces
Cund
Cintamani-cakra: wheel of sovereign power
Arya Lokiteśvara: the Holy sovereign beholder of the world (loka), a translation of īśvara, means "ruler" or "sovereign", holy one.
Modern scholarship
Western scholars have not reached a consensus on the origin of the reverence for Avalokiteśvara. Some have suggested that Avalokiteśvara, along with many other supernatural beings in Buddhism, was a borrowing or absorption by Mahayana Buddhism of one or more Hindu deities, in particular Shiva or Vishnu (though the reason for this suggestion is because the current name of the bodhisattva not the original one.)
The Japanese scholar Shu Hikosaka on the basis of his study of Buddhist scriptures, ancient Tamil literary sources, as well as field survey, proposes the hypothesis that, the ancient mount Potalaka, the residence of Avalokiteśvara described in the Gandavyuha Sutra and Xuanzang's Records, is the real mountain Potikai or Potiyil situated at Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu. Shu also says that mount Potiyil/Potalaka has been a sacred place for the people of South India from time immemorial. With the spread of Buddhism in the region beginning at the time of the great king Aśoka in the third century B.C.E., it became a holy place also for Buddhists who gradually became dominant as a number of their hermits settled there. The local people, though, mainly remained followers of the Hindu religion. The mixed Hindu-Buddhist cult culminated in the formation of the figure of Avalokiteśvara
In Theravada, Lokeśvara, "the lord, ruler or sovereign beholder of the world", name of a Buddha; probably a development of the idea of Brahmā, Vishnu or Śiva as lokanātha, "lord of worlds". In Indo-China especially it refers to Avalokiteśvara, whose image or face, in masculine form, is frequently seen, e.g., at Angkor. The name Lokeśvara should not be confused with that of Lokesvararaja, the Buddha under whom Dharmakara became a monk and made forty-eight vows before becoming Amitabha Buddha.
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