Shiva as Nataraja

Follow the ring of flames around the dancing figure. Shiva has four arms, with a small drum in one hand and fire in another. Below him is a small figure representing ignorance. The bronze brings several ideas into one moving body. This form is called Nataraja, Shiva as Lord of the Dance. Shiva is a Hindu deity, and the drum and flame connect the dance with creation and destruction. The surrounding ring and the placement of the limbs help hold those different actions together. Take in the outer circle before following each hand. The sculpture belongs to the Chola tradition of southern India and is tentatively dated to about AD 930–940. The Museum purchased it from Spink. It is a different object from later images of Shiva in the collection. Here the particular bronze, its gestures and its flame ring give you a way into a religious image that was made to be recognised through its attributes.