Shiva Nataraja

Shiva Nataraja

1200s
Shiva Nataraja. 1200s. bronze. Dora Porter Mason Collection. 1947.2.
This object is currently on view
God Shiva, Lord of the Dance (Nataraja) South India, Tamil Nadu 1100s, Chola dynasty Bronze Dora Porter Mason Collection 1947.2 The Hindu god Shiva dances the universe into and out of existence. The sound of his drum heralds its creation; his burning flame signals its final conflagration. In his dance, Shiva tramples on the demon of forgetfulness, shown in the form of an infant. The cycle of time—past, present, and future—runs through the circle of flames within which he dances.
Country
Tamil Nadu Province, India
Object
sculpture
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
height: 36 7/8 in, 93.6625 cm; width: 32 1/2 in, 82.55 cm; depth: 12 in, 30.48 cm; base diameter: 11 in, 27.94 cm
Credit Line
Dora Porter Mason Collection
Department
Arts of Asia
Collection
Arts of Asia
Accession Number
1947.2
Known Provenance
(C.T. Loo & Company), New York, by 1947; purchase with funds from the Dora Porter Mason bequest, Denver Art Museum, 1947.
Exhibition History
  • "Master Bronzes of India," The Art Institute of Chicago, September 3 - October 10, 1965
  • "Master Bronzes of India," Asia House Gallery, New York, September 1966 - December 1966
  • "Windows on the World," Denver Art Museum, October 5-November 20, 1983
  • "Linking Asia: Art, Trade and Devotion," Denver Art Museum, December 17, 2017-April 1, 2018, no. 102

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