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Artist:
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Artist Unknown
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Title:
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Shiva Nataraja (Lord of the Dance)
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Date:
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11th century
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Medium:
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Bronze
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Dimensions:
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28 in. (71.12 cm)
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Credit Line:
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Gift of Mrs. E. C. Gale
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Location:
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Gallery Not on view
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Shiva, in his form of Nataraja or Lord of the Dance, was adopted by the imperial Cholas as their family deity. For this reason, images of Shiva performing his cosmic dance became widely popular in South India where the Cholas ruled from the early tenth century. The dance symbolizes the five activities of Shiva as the cosmic deity: creator, preserver, destroyer, remover of illusion, and dispenser of grace. The great god tramples the prostrate dwarf Apasmarapurusa, the demon of ignorance. Found in a temple near Pondicherry, the frenzied, destructive force of the cosmic cycle, Shiva's perpetual motion, and the sense of unearthly power are fully expressed in this archetypal sculpture.
Object Description
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Classification:
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Sculpture
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Physical Description:
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Found in a temple near Pondicherry. The figure represents cosmic activity. The significance of the gestures is as follows the drum in the right hand signifies creation; the fire in the upper left hand, destruction; the abaya (fear not) position of the lower right hand, protection; the position of the raised left foot, salvation; the foot placed on the prostrate dwarf, Apasmarapurusa, removal of illusion/ignorance.
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Creation Place:
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Asia, India, Tamil Nadu,
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Accession #:
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29.2
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Owner:
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The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
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