Shiva as Lord of Dance - New York City, NY
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 40° 46.762 W 073° 57.762
18T E 587529 N 4514782
The Hindu god Shiva is formless and yet takes many forms. Here he is depicted as the Lord of the Dance.
Waymark Code: WMN5HD
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 12/29/2014
Views: 5
This sculpture is located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Museum's website for this piece (
visit link) provides the following information:
"Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja)
Period: Chola period (880–1279)
Date: ca. 11th century
Culture: Indian (Tamil Nadu)
Medium: Copper alloy
Dimensions: H. 26 7/8 in. (68.3 cm); Diam. 22 1/4 in. (56.5 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Gift of R. H. Ellsworth Ltd., in honor of Susan Dillon, 1987
Accession Number: 1987.80.1
On view in Gallery 240
As a symbol, Shiva Nataraja is a brilliant invention. It combines in a single image Shiva's roles as creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe and conveys the Indian conception of the never-ending cycle of time. Although it appeared in sculpture as early as the fifth century, its present, world-famous form evolved under the rule of the Cholas. Shiva's dance is set within a flaming halo. The god holds in his upper right hand the damaru (hand drum that made the first sounds of creation). His upper left hand holds agni (the fire that will destroy the universe). With his lower right hand, he makes abhayamudra (the gesture that allays fear). The dwarflike figure being trampled by his right foot represents apasmara purusha (illusion, which leads mankind astray). Shiva's front left hand, pointing to his raised left foot, signifies refuge for the troubled soul. The energy of his dance makes his hair fly to the sides. The symbols imply that, through belief in Shiva, his devotees can achieve salvation."