Beyond Bollywood Audio Exhibition
Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of Dance, circa 1125–1175, India; Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur district, copper alloy, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund, 69.46, 98.11 x 71.12 x 30.48 cm
Verbal Description
Hello, my name is Trudy Gaba. I am the curatorial assistant for South Asian Art, Islamic Art, and Antiquities at the Cincinnati Art Museum. I will be reading the verbal description for Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance in Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in Art.
This sculpture, titled Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance, is copper alloy. It dates from around 1125 to 1175. It is in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, and is supported by the Adolph D. and Wilkins C. William Fund. The accession number is 69.46.
The Hindu god Shiva is shown in this bronze sculpture. Measuring 98.11 by 71.12 by 30.48 centimeters, the color of the metal is a mottled reddish-brown that is shiny in places, particularly along the figure’s lean legs and arms. Shiva’s long dreadlocks splay around his head. He wears a crown, large hoop earrings, bracelets, arm cuffs, and a form-fitting lower garment. His athletic form balances on his bent right leg, which stands on a small figure. The left leg, toes pointed, kicks high and across the body. Shiva Nataraja has four arms. The lower left arm stretches long across the chest, fingers pointed down. The right palm faces us. The outer arms stretch to either side, elbows slightly bent. He holds a drum in his upper right hand. His left should hold a flickering flame, but this is now missing. A halo of flames encircles the figure, and the whole rests on a rectangular base with holes used to affix this mobile sculpture to a carriage or platform for procession.
Label Text
Hello, my name is Trudy Gaba. I am the curatorial assistant for South Asian Art, Islamic Art, and Antiquities at the Cincinnati Art Museum. I will be reading the label for Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance in Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in Art.
This sculpture, titled Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance, is copper alloy. It dates from around 1125 to 1175. It is in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, and is supported by the Adolph D. and Wilkins C. William Fund. The accession number is 69.46.
Shiva dancing in the form of Nataraja, “Lord or King of Dance,” represents harmony between two extremes. He embodies rhythmic movement while standing perfectly still. He holds within himself the possibility of dancing the world to extinction, only to recreate it anew. Through Shiva Nataraja’s cosmic dance of balance and restraint, the universe exists.
Dating to the Chola dynasty (circa 850–1280), the high point of bronze casting, this image represents Shiva’s vigorous “dance of bliss,” the ananda-tandava. Within the sacred stories, Shiva dances in a number of different ways, but this form is the most iconic. Among the key features to identify the form includes the left leg lifted high and angled across the body, four arms, and the figure underfoot, usually associated with ignorance, that Shiva dances upon to subdue. While the Nataraja form is often reproduced, the symbolic meaning of the god must be considered (and re-considered) for various periods and audiences.