Picturesque Nepal . ortraitsof the founder and his wife, and are regardedby all with great respect, almost approachingworship. In some few cases these are actuallysaints or deities, but the ordinary custom isto place in front of the shrine metal imagesof the distinguished laity w^ho have beenintimately identified with its these are grouped smaller statues,also portraits, and in front of each is a shallowreceptacle for incense or oil and wick. Theseare likenesses of those who have contributedtheir moiety to the glorification or upkeep ofthe temple, or depict devotees who ha
Picturesque Nepal . ortraitsof the founder and his wife, and are regardedby all with great respect, almost approachingworship. In some few cases these are actuallysaints or deities, but the ordinary custom isto place in front of the shrine metal imagesof the distinguished laity w^ho have beenintimately identified with its these are grouped smaller statues,also portraits, and in front of each is a shallowreceptacle for incense or oil and wick. Theseare likenesses of those who have contributedtheir moiety to the glorification or upkeep ofthe temple, or depict devotees who havededicated a figure, a bell, or some sacredutensil, to be added to its furniture. The method employed by the Newar inbuilding up his larger statues is a somewhatunusual one, as he obtains his result by thecombination of two distinct technical pro-cesses. His smaller work is cast in the well-known cire-perdue manner, literally, the lostwax, and technically, the waste mould,method of casting. Parts of his larger con-. ELABORATE WOOD-CARVING ON BHAIRAN TEMPLE AT BHATGAON. THE MAKING OF A METAL STATUE 161 ceptions, such as the head and hands, are alsoexecuted in the same way, but the body andlower portions of seated figures are constructedby being beaten up into the desired formwith the hammer. The various portions onbeing completed in one or other of theseprocesses are joined together by rivets, andthe figure built up and finished in this accessories have been manufacturedseparately — the head-dress and ornaments,the symbols and insignia—and these are addedsubsequently. It is customary for many ofthe statues to be encrusted with jewels andgems, and special places are reserved for theirintroduction. These finishing touches of realrubies, turquoises, amethysts, and otherprecious stones, add considerably to the rich-ness of the general effect, and althoughsuggesting the barbaric, the tout ensembledoes not suffer, for they fall into place, anddo not detract from the wo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidpicturesquen, bookyear1912
