Metal sculpture art is most ancient art in Nepal and is one of the most advanced and appreciated art in Nepal. Metal sculpture art in Nepal has been dated back to the seventh century AD. Kathmandu Valley's prosperity in many ways is linked to its early mastery over metal. The Tamrakar, Shakya and Swarnakars of Nepal, used the unique lost wax metal sculpting process early on to make beautiful metal sculpture. They also had the technology to attain heat levels that could melt gold: this earned them great fame and money in the Himalayan region, particularly Tibet. Family secrets, guarded with much jealousy in the past, are now more easily accessible and this has helped many aspiring artisans who do not have a family line to fall back on access chemical recipes and trade secrets. Bronze was initially used to make most statues but copper has replaced it in terms of popular use among artisans. The many workshops and stores have created a vast pool of metal sculpture arts for buyers to choose from. The locations well known for hand-worked metal sculpture art is Patan.
Sculpting metal statue is a lengthy procedure that requires great skill. A large piece of metal sculpture can take up to six months to create and several people need to work on it. Crafting the work by hand is sometimes exhausting. As recently 1998, the production of metal art was government controlled in many ways. The secrets of quality Meta sculpturing work were kept restricted to a few families. Knowledge of the skill was passed down generation to generation and was guarded from those outside the family circle.
The Tamrakar hand-work their metal and this is a time-consuming process that does not allow for large quantity art production. They make statues of Hindu and Buddhist deities. They work with brass and bronze as well and also produce traditional jars and plates as well as pieces that were commonly used in ceremonial events. Shakyas are another clan that makes metal statue art using the lost-wax method. The Swarnakars work with gold. The raw materials for metal statues; copper, brass, and bronze are imported from Malaysia, United Arabian Emirates, and other countries. Some raw materials are processed in Japan or Taiwan.
Still today you can find Tamrakar, Shakyas and Swarnakars of Kathmandu, Nepal are devoted to their ancient and cultural gift which has been passed them by their ancestors. Metal sculpture art work has been so perfect that the statues made by them are highly appreciated by all over the world. Their wonderful piece of examples may be found in most of the parts of Kathmandu valley, which have attracted many tourists since ancient times.
Here is few more facts about the Metal Art in Nepal
History of metal art in Nepal
Process of making metal sculptures.
Metal Crafts