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1.2: Shiva Nataraja

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    Shiva Nataraja

    2.png

    Artist: Unknown
    Medium: Bronze
    Art Historical Time Period: Indian (10th–12th century CE)

    Shiva Nataraja is a famous depiction of Shiva as the Lord of Dance. This bronze sculpture shows Shiva dancing within a ring of fire, symbolizing the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction. Shiva Nataraja is important in Hindu culture as it represents the dynamic and cyclical nature of the universe. It is a powerful symbol of the interconnectedness of life and the divine. The image of Shiva Nataraja has become an iconic representation of Indian art and philosophy, influencing artists and thinkers worldwide.

    Vocabulary

    • Bronze A yellowish-brown alloy of copper with up to one-third tin.
    • Cosmic Relating to the universe or cosmos, especially as distinct from the earth.

    • Nataraja A depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer.

    Student Authors

    • Elena Sanchez ’25 and Luis Jimenez ’25

    References and Image Attribution

    • Davis, Richard H. Lives of Indian Images. Princeton University Press, 1997.

    • Smith, David. The Dance of Siva: Religion, Art and Poetry in South India. Cambridge University Press, 1996.

    • Image: “Shiva as the Lord of Dance LACMA edit” via Wikimedia Commons by Vassil, licensed under Public Domain. Modified from original.

       

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