Shiva Nataraja. 1200s. bronze. Dora Porter Mason Collection. 1947.2.

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

Arts of Asia

Arts of Asia

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.

(C.T. Loo & Company), New York, by 1948; purchase with funds from the Dora Porter Mason bequest, Denver Art Museum, 1948.

• "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