LIVING TRADITIONS: FOLK AND TRIBAL ART (19-20 APRIL 2017)

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13
DANTESHW
BASTAR, CHHAT
MID 20TH CENTU
Bronze
16 in (40.7 cm) hi
$ 1,080 ‒ 1,385
Rs 70,000 ‒ 90,0
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection,
Thedistrict of Bastar inChhattisgarh is a predominantly
tribal region. It is famed for its wood‒carvings, and
terracotta and bronze sculptures. Bastar has large
deposits of iron, manganese, and tin – metals essential
in the casting of bronze statues. Bastar bronzes are
made by members of the Ghasia caste. Deities are
made for the Maria and Muria tribes, among others,
who commission idols from the Ghasias. Apart
from deities, the Ghasias make objects of festive
and ceremonial significance, and an assortment of
everyday use objects including lamps, utensils, combs
and hairpins. These bronzes are intricately detailed
with motifs inspired by nature and the cosmos.
The coarse texture of a twisted rope or the ear of
cereal crops are masterfully captured, heightening the
sophistication of their casting methods. Sculptures are
made using the cire perdue, or lost wax technique. A
mould made from clay is left to dry in the sun. The
sculptor then wraps or coils the dry mould using
smoothened wax wires. Details such as facial features
are carved from wax, and ornaments and clothing are
added using wax threads. The torso is made first, and
the head and legs are fixed to it using bamboo sticks
or solid wax. A layer of clay is added over the wax, and
has channels to allowmolten metal to flow in. The wax
melts from the heat of the metal which assumes the
shape of the mould. Once it solidifies, the outer layer
of clay is broken to reveal the finished bronze sculpture.
It is believed that the supernatural powers of deities do
not last forever. Priests confirm when deities have lost
their power and they are then discarded and replaced
with new ones, creating a constant cycle of human
creativity which supports the divine.
The Bastar tribes, initially animists, developed a large
andvariedpantheondominatedbymother goddesses.
Male gods, few in number, are forest or hill spirits, or
are specific to clans. Shiva and Parvati are worshipped
in different avatars. Danteshwari Mata, an avatar of
Durga, is usually portrayed riding on an elephant and
is associated with the festival of Dussehra. Jhulana
Mata, a less common Gond goddess, is depicted
seated on a swing. Goddess worship is central to the
tribes of Bastar, who believe that appeasing them will
ward off pestilence and calamities.
BASTAR BRONZES
Lot 13 on display in the Bastar village from which it was acquired
Image courtesy of the collector
Sculptor at work in a Bastar village haat
Image courtesy of the collector