Many large images, such as sculptures of royalty and mythological creatures, displayed on tall stone pillars at the Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, as well as finials of roofs and stupas, and metal claddings of frames and doors of shrines, were worked from, to be gilded, copper sheet, as well as occasionally from silver. The metal sheets were joined by mechanical means, such as rivets, or by soldering. This particular technique, no pun intended, was raised to an extraordinary level of skill and magnificence in Nepal.
In the process, the metal sheet is often embedded into a resinous, somewhat flexible material, while the surface of the metal is manipulated and shaped by punches and hammer strokes. Frequent annealing of the metal is required to retain is continued workability.
As in the past, final surface treatments consist of fire gilding (or amalgam gilding), the setting of precious and semi precious stones into bezels, and – occasionally – the application of colored layers.
The owner Rajkumar Shakya of On Metal (www.onmetal.com) has kindly allowed me to view his work and introduced me to other members of his family, who are also active metal craftsmen. His grand father created the images of the Buddha at Swayambhu (see entry of March 19, 2016).
See also Dreams magazine “Rajkumar Shakya: Filling in the Shoes of Arniko” by Reetu Joshi, September 21, 2014.
Preservation of metalwork in Nepal 