MASTER SCULPTOR CREATES 9-FEET HIGH MONOLITHIC WOODEN NATARAJA
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| Sankaran Nair, alias Kochunni of Kizhakkoot House, Cherpu, Thrissur 680561 |
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A 9-feet high, 6-feet wide, monolithic wooden Nataraja has been completed by the master artist Sankaran Nair, alias Kochunni of Kizhakkoot House, Cherpu, Thrissur. Kochunni, whose ancestors were sculptors of temple idls and figures, had begun his career at the age of 13. He says this is the biggest sculpture done by him so far. It isn’t the scale of the creation that is fascinating but the craftsmanship that is projecting from all parts of the wooden figure.
While
Tamil Nadu wood was used for the figure, the 3-feet high base was made of
wood imported Malaysia. It
took months to cut the wood to proper size using handsaw operated from
specially constructed trenches. Cranes
had to be employed to shift the pieces into position.
It
took Kochunni and his 15 assistants 8 months to complete the work.
The
piece is meant for the private collection of famous actor Mohanlal.
Earlier his sculptures have often been used as mementos for
presenting to visiting dignitaries like Pope John Paul II and former
Presidents Sankar Dayal Sharma and R.Venkataraman.
Courtesy: Kumkumam, March 2002
Contributed by: Administrator
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