From Rocks to Masterpieces- Art of Stone Carving:
Pertaining to the abundant availability of stones, civilizations dating back to as far as Mesolithic age saw the usage of these rocks for creating some exquisite works for various purposes.
Some of the earliest stone works include The Stonehenge, Moai and some sculptures recovered from excavating caves and historic civilizations such as the Indus Valley Civilization- each having their own unique style, purpose, and characteristics.
Formation of rocks:
Millions of years ago, the Earth was simply a huge ball of mineral gases. As these gases began to cool down, they got compressed and took on a solid form to become what we call natural rocks.
There are a variety of rocks on Earth such as metamorphic, igneous, sedimentary, etc. Their variety depends on the minerals that went into their formation and their origins.
What is stone carving?
Stone carving is essentially a process by which objects are sculpted out of a piece of rock or stone. It has been a very common yet difficult form of art for quite a few centuries now. Over time, sculptors began taking keen notice of details, beautifying their stone sculptures and creating truly realistic masterpieces out of them.
Limestone, granite, sandstone, marble, soapstone, black stone, etc. are some of the commonly chosen rocks/stones for sculpting- each having their own unique characteristic and quality.
The process of carving stones:
Carving sculptures out of stone begins with the sculptor choosing a stone for his/her work. They then usually create a replica of their design or sculpture using another medium such as Plaster of Paris. This makes it easier for them to copy exact details. Some artisans, however, prefer directly carving the stone.
Carving of the stone involves chiseling out the excess or unwanted parts of the stone using a pointed chisel to create a basic structure.
Once that structure is ready, the sculptor then begins to refine his sculpture, carving out details and bringing out a more defined structure.
After all the carving is done, he then finishes off by smoothening the surface and giving it a polish. Usually, a sandpaper is used for this purpose but it depends on the rock or stone used.
Black stone sculptures:
Black stone is a very commonly used rock for creating sculptures because of its beautiful color that gives an elegant finish to the sculpture. Different types of black stones can be used depending on the sculptor and his needs. Black Onyx is a variety that is often used for sculpting purposes.
Our exquisite Black Stone collections:
Dharma: The Symbolic Sermon-
Simple but professionally crafted, this sculpture shows Lord Buddha seated on a throne and demonstrating the Dharma Chakra Mudra.
Find it here.
Kama: Uncontrollable Desire-
Hindu scriptures define Kama as a physical desire for intimacy between two people. It is this desire that is said to drive all the creatures into reproducing and hence keeping evolution going.
This polished, black stone sculpture depicts the same passion between a man and a woman.
Praheli: The Enigma That Is Life-
Scholars, yogis, and philosophers were forever faced with failure trying to understand the mysteries of life. This secrecy of life hence became an interesting subject for artists and artisans to explore.
This sculpture is a fine example of one that depicts this enigma by being carved to look like a question mark with different creatures engraved on it, conveying that everything that walks the Earth is an eternal part of this question.
Find yours here.