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Marble sculpture is the art of creating three-dimensional forms from marble. Marble has probably never gained as much importance as bronze, copper, wood, stone etc., but that doesn't mean that there is any dearth of marble sculpture. Buddhist marble sculpture is very popular, not only in India, but all over the world. India is a storehouse of marbles. Marble deposits are most widespread in Rajasthan and Gujarat. They are also found in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Maharashtra.
Makrana marble is the best quality marble in India. It is from Rajasthan, India and is sought after around the world. The highest quality Makrana marble is completely white. It is one of the hardest marbles available making it difficult to carve. Features of the Hindu Gods are often painted on the carved surfaces of the marble.
In India, marble craftsmen do not restrict themselves to pure white marble. They make beautiful statues, including Buddhist sculpture, of green marble, red marble, black marble as well as gray marble.
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The reason for the popularity of marble as a carving material lies in the fact that marble is:
- Sturdy
- Durable
- Elegant
- Sophisticated
Apart from the aforementioned qualities, among the commonly available stones only marble has a slight surface translucency that is comparable to that of human skin. It is this translucency that gives a marble sculpture a visual depth beyond its surface and this evokes a certain realism when used for figurative works. Marble is also soft enough, when quarried, to be carved, worked on,refined and polished. With time, the marble hardens, which makes marble sculptures sturdy and durable.
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Zhu He Village, about six miles east of Quyang, was a major center for the production of Buddhist marble sculpture between the 6th and 8th centuries, responsible for the variety of images excavated from the site of the Xiude Temple. West-central Habei has yielded some marble sculptures in the 20th century which prove that local sculptors and artisans in the 12th century had source materials in depth, which explains a convention common to both the 'archaistic' and 'naturalistic' figures, derived from the 6th century: the use of doubly deep grooves to represent drapery folds.
Get in-depth information on Buddhist sculptures and different marble sculptures at buddhistsculptures.com.
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