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Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja)

A bronze sculpture of the Hindu divinity Shiva. Shiva, who has two pairs of arms, is depicted dancing inside of a circular ring. Balancing on one leg, Shiva gestures his arms to the side and front, as his loose locks of hair flow behind him.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A bronze sculpture of the Hindu divinity Shiva. Shiva, who has two pairs of arms, is depicted dancing inside of a circular ring. Balancing on one leg, Shiva gestures his arms to the side and front, as his loose locks of hair flow behind him.

Date:

Chola period, about 10th/11th century

Artist:

India
Tamil Nadu

About this artwork

Shiva, one of the most important Hindu divinities, is here depicted as the Lord of the Dance (Nataraja), an iconic image in Indian art. Shiva’s cosmic dance sets in motion the rhythm of life and death; it pervades the universe, as symbolized by the ring of fire that is filled with the loose, snakelike locks of the god’s hair. One pair of his arms balances the flame of destruction and the hand drum (damaru) that beats the rhythm of life while another performs symbolic gestures: the raised right hand means “fear not,” and the left hand (gajahasta) pointing down toward his raised left foot signifies release from the ignorance that hinders realization of the ultimate reality. Shiva is shown perfectly balanced, with his right leg planted on the demon of darkness (Apasmara), stamping out ignorance. The tiny figure of the personified river goddess, Ganga, is caught up in his matted, flowing locks. Shiva was believed to break the fall of the great Ganges River as it descends from the Himalayas by standing beneath the waters, which divide over his hair, becoming the seven holy rivers of India. This classic bronze comes from the Chola period in the south of India. Icons such as this were carried in procession during religious ceremonies.

Status

On View, Gallery 141

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja)

Place

Tamil Nadu (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

901 CE–1100

Medium

Bronze

Dimensions

69.3 × 61.8 × 24.1 cm (27 1/4 × 24 1/4 × 9 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Kate S. Buckingham Fund

Reference Number

1965.1130

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/24548/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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