Shiva

A four-armed figure is dancing, surrounded by a flaming halo. It is the Hindu god Shiva. This showpiece of the Rijksmuseum's Asiatic art section shows Shiva as the Lord of the Dancers. In this incarnationIncarnationsHindu and Buddhist deities do not always appear in the same form. They often take a variety of shapes. These incarnations may be either beneficent or they may be terrifying. Some of the deity's attributes always appear whatever the incarnation; others are typical of a particular form. he is the god which created, maintains and will destroy the world. His attributes point to this role: holding a small drum in his upper right hand, the god beats the rhythm of creation, with the fire in his left hand he destroys the world. On festivals, this figure would be dressed, hung with garlands of flowers and carried along in processions. Poles would be passed through the rings on the base in order to carry the statue.