Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja)

Shiva’s hair streams outward while his face remains calmly centered. One foot presses down on a small dwarf figure, and the other lifts across his body. Flames project from the ring around him. The sculptor has spread a moving figure across a balanced circular shape. This image of Shiva as Lord of Dance, or Nataraja, comes from Tamil Nadu in southern India and dates to the late eleventh-century Chola period. Its gestures have specific meanings in Hindu devotion. The small drum in one hand relates to creation. The flame in another relates to destruction. The open right hand offers reassurance, while the front left hand directs attention toward the raised foot as a place of refuge. Try following the arms one at a time before taking in the whole figure again. Each bends differently, so the hands remain distinct within the ring. Beneath them, the standing leg carries the body’s weight into the small figure at the base. The lifted foot extends into the open space on the other side.