The LOST wax process.

From the ninth to the thirteenth century, the Chola dynasty was the dominant cultural, artistic, religious, and political force in South India! Under their rule every form of art flourished! Notable among them are sculptures using granite stones and metal sculptures using bronze.  

Metal sculptures have been cast for centuries under the patronage of different dynasties in India, but nowhere does it seem to have registered such an acme of development as it did under the Cholas.

Between the 8th and 10th century, Hindu devotees began to involve their Gods into all their rituals and ceremonies outside the temple. So they needed portable deities to participate in these rituals and functions outside the temple. Thus began the creation of spectacular temple bronzes which were either a replica or an imitation of the original deity of the temple's sanctum sanctorum!

Although the making of bronze sculpture was started during the period of Pallavas, it reached its pinnacle under the Chola dynasty. Some of the outstanding bronze sculptures we have today are from Chozha period.  

These bronze sculptures were made by a process called "The LOST wax process" 

Beeswax and kungilium (a resin obtained from a tree called Shala tree (Shorea robusta) are mixed with a little oil and the mixture is kneaded well. With this mixture the necessary wax model is made. All the minute details are fashioned into it. This is the original wax model from which the bronze 

sculpture will be made.

The wax model is made as per the Silpa Sastras. Extreme care is given to the dimensions, the proportions, the pose, the ornaments, the mudras and the bhavas are all are as per the Silpa Sastras. It is said that the sculptor keeps reciting the Dhyana Slokam pertaining to the particular deity he is making as mentioned in the Silpa Sastras, so that the figure of the God he is making fills his mind completely. This helps the sculptor to fashion the sculpture exactly as per the Silpa Sastra.  The entire exercise of making the model with laser focused  attention and contemplation upon a particular deity, makes it a real Yoga.

Clay from a termite-hill is made into a paste and the entire wax model is coated with it over and over again until the mould is of a necessary thickness. Then the whole thing is dried. After that the clay-mould with the wax-model inside is baked over an oven with cow-dung cakes. As heat is generated the wax-model melts and flows out. Now the clay-mould is empty and is ready for casting.

The metal alloy of bronze is melted and then poured into the mould. 

This particular bronze alloy is known as "Pancha Lokam", which primarily contains copper and Tin. In addition often other metals are also added, gold and silver occasionally. It is a myth that Pancha Lokam always contains Gold and silver. Various archeometallurgical studies have proved that Gold and silver are found very rarely in Pancha Lokam.   

When the metal has filled all crevices inside the model and has settled, it is left for hardening and cooling. Once it is settled and cooled the mould is broken off. The basic bronze figure is thus obtained. It is then cleaned, finer details are added, blemishes are removed, smoothened, and polished well. So, there exists only one specimen of that particular work done by that sculptor, and it cannot be moulded or copied. In this process the wax model is lost and hence the name! Since it is the only specimen available at all times, it is unique and expensive.

All the pictures in this post were made by the lost wax process and were photographed in Chennai Government Museum.