GENERAL DESCRIPTION
This sculpture depicting Shiva as Lord of the Dance was produced during the period of Chola dynasty rule, the 9th through 13th centuries, and more specifically during the 11th century. Shiva, one of the chief Hindu gods, is a very complex figure. He is the master of life, death, and rebirth; a fertility deity, worshipped in the phallic lingam; an ascetic yogi; and the loving husband of his wife, Parvati. As Nataraja, or lord of the dance, Shiva dances the grand rhythm of the entire universe, surrounded by a circle of flames. His hair is the Ganges River. He stamps upon the dwarf of spiritual ignorance, while his gestures promise protection and enlightenment to his worshippers.
Adapted from
- "Shiva Nataraja," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Bonnie Pitman (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art; New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2012), 99.
- F. M. Asher, "Shiva Nataraja," in The Arts of India, South East Asia, and the Himalayas, Anne R. Bromberg (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013), 75-76.
NOTES
Fun fact source: DMA Connect
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Curator Anne Bromberg discusses Shiva Nataraja
- 12936878: UMO
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FUN FACTS
The tenth-century visionary, Sandarar, said about Shiva:
He dances, a whirl
Of motion,
The great lord
Bearing fire, crowned
With the crescent and with Ganga
As his golden anklets chime
And his serpents dance, too.
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General Description
This sculpture depicting Shiva as Lord of the Dance was produced during the period of Chola dynasty rule, the 9th through 13th centuries, and more specifically during the 11th century. Shiva, one of the chief Hindu gods, is a very complex figure. He is the master of life, death, and rebirth; a fertility deity, worshipped in the phallic lingam; an ascetic yogi; and the loving husband of his wife, Parvati. As Nataraja, or lord of the dance, Shiva dances the grand rhythm of the entire universe, surrounded by a circle of flames. His hair is the Ganges River. He stamps upon the dwarf of spiritual ignorance, while his gestures promise protection and enlightenment to his worshippers.
Adapted from
- "Shiva Nataraja," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Bonnie Pitman (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art; New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2012), 99.
- F. M. Asher, "Shiva Nataraja," in The Arts of India, South East Asia, and the Himalayas, Anne R. Bromberg (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013), 75-76.
Fun Facts
The tenth-century visionary, Sandarar, said about Shiva:
He dances, a whirl
Of motion,
The great lord
Bearing fire, crowned
With the crescent and with Ganga
As his golden anklets chime
And his serpents dance, too.
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
Fun fact source: DMA Connect
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
Curator Anne Bromberg discusses Shiva Nataraja
- 12936878: UMO
rules
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