Shiva Nataraja

India, Tamil Nadu, Chola style, 12th century, bronze

Shiva, in his manifestation as Nataraja (King of Dancers), represented in the anandatandava pose and encircled by a halo of fire, is both the creator and destroyer of the world. Beneath his foot is a dwarf, symbolizing ignorance. Richly decorated bronze figures of Hindu gods were carried in procession on feast days. Carrying poles were inserted through the rings on the base.

Artwork typefigure, sculpture, Shiva
Object numberAK-MAK-187
Dimensionswidth 73.5 cm x depth 44 cm x height 19 cm x weight 40 kg, height 153.0 cm x width 114.5 cm, weight 255 kg

Stories

Dancing Shiva

Supernatural power and knowledge

Identification

Object type
Object number
AK-MAK-187
Description
Shiva, in his manifestation as Nataraja (King of Dancers), represented in the anandatandava pose and encircled by a halo of fire, is both the creator and destroyer of the world. Beneath his foot is a dwarf, symbolizing ignorance. Richly decorated bronze figures of Hindu gods were carried in procession on feast days. Carrying poles were inserted through the rings on the base.
Catalogue reference
Jean Varenne, L'art de l'Inde, Paris 1982, pl. 42.

Creation

Creation
anoniem, Tamil Nadu
Dating
c. 1100 - c. 1200
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School / Style

Material and technique

Material
Technique
Dimensions
- width 73.5 cm x depth 44 cm x height 19 cm x weight 40 kg
- height 153.0 cm x width 114.5 cm
- weight 255 kg

This work is about

Person
Subject

Acquisition and rights

Credit line
On loan from the Royal Asian Art Society in The Netherlands (purchase with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt, 1935)
Copyright
Public domain
Provenance
…; from C.T. Loo, Paris, fl. 16,000, with support from the Vereniging Rembrandt, to the Vereniging van Vrienden der Aziatische Kunst, 1935;{Note RMA.} from whom on loan to the museum, 1972

Documentation

- Jean Varenne, L'art de l'Inde, Paris 1982, pl. 42.
- M. Derck, Indian art, London 1967, pl. 26.
- Pauline Lunsingh Scheurleer, 'De Dansende Shiva', Aziatische Kunst 26/1 (1996), pp. 13-20.
- Renée Steenbergen, 'De Vereniging van Vrienden der Aziatische Kunst in het interbellum : Deftige verzamelaars, rijke donateurs en Indische fortuinen', Aziatische Kunst 38 (2008), nr. 3, p. 10, afb. 8.
- Karel van Kooij, 'Bold and Beautiful', Aziatische Kunst 19/4 (1999), pp. 2-23.
- H. Goetz, Indien, in: Kunst der Welt, Baden-Baden 1962, p. 185.
- Jan van Campen, 'Jaarverslag van de conservatoren over 2012', Aziatische Kunst 43 (2013), nr. 2, p. 35.
- P.C.M. Lunsingh Scheurleer, 'The Human form in Asian sculpture in the exhibition Rijksmuseum aan Zee: Heavenly sculptures from east and west', Sculptuur Studies 2008 (2009), p. 104-109.
- Anna Slaczka, 'Devi aan Zee', Aziatische Kunst 38 (2008), nr. 4, p. 149, afb. 6.
- Robert Uterwijk, 'Als je zou kunnen zien, de boog van zijn wenkbrauw', Aziatische Kunst 37/1 (2007), pp. 23-27.
- Inzoomer object op zaal, 2013 (Nederlands/English).
- Maandblad voor beeldende kunsten (1935), oct., p. 290-306.
- Annette Löseke en Anna Grasskamp, 'Framing 'Asia' : results from a visitor study at the Rijksmuseum's Asian Pavilion', Aziatische Kunst 44 (2014) nr. 2, p. 50, fig. 2.
- C. Sivaramamurti, South Indian Bronzes, Bombay 1963, pl. 696.
- P.C.M. Lunsingh Scheurleer, 'De menselijke gestalte in de Aziatische beeldhouwkunst op de tentoonstelling Rijksmuseum aan Zee: Hemelse beelden uit Oost en West', Sculptuur Studies 2008 (2009), p. 12-17.

Persistent URL

To refer to this object, please use the following persistent URL:
https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200106309