About This Piece
17″ Divine Patanjali | Handcrafted Brass | Antique Green Finish
This 17-inch handcrafted brass sculpture depicts Sage Patanjali in the anjali mudra — hands pressed together at the chest in a gesture of reverence and salutation. The figure stands upright on a tiered square base, the lower half of the body rendered as a coiled serpent form, a defining iconographic feature of Patanjali's traditional representation. The face carries a composed, inward expression framed by a short beard, with an elaborate crown rising from the head. The sculpture measures 17 inches in height, 6 inches in width, and 6 inches in depth, and weighs approximately 5,700 grams.
The piece is cast using traditional brass casting methods that allow for the level of surface detail visible across the serpent coils, the crown, and the ornamental jewelry on the upper torso. Each layer of the coiled base has been worked with fine linear patterning, a process that requires sustained skill and attention. The anjali mudra posture demands precise symmetry in the hands and forearms, which is achieved through careful hand-finishing after the initial cast is set.
Patanjali is regarded in Indian philosophical tradition as the codifier of yoga, the author of the Yoga Sutras — a foundational text that systematized the practice and philosophy of yoga as a path toward mental clarity and liberation. His half-human, half-serpent form represents the union of earthly knowledge and transcendent wisdom, and his anjali mudra signifies humility before that tradition.
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, valued in Indian craft traditions for its density, warm tonality, and resistance to corrosion. These properties make it particularly well-suited for devotional objects intended to endure across generations without losing structural integrity or surface quality.
This sculpture carries an antique green finish, applied to bring out the depth of the surface detailing and to give the piece the appearance of aged patina. As this is an individually handcrafted object, natural variation in the distribution of the green and gold tones across the surface is expected and inherent to the process.
This sculpture is well-suited to a meditation room, yoga studio, home altar, or as a considered gift for a practitioner or collector with a serious interest in Indian philosophical tradition.
