Object Details
Description
The sculpture consists of a single standing four-armed figure on a large base; the upper arms of the figure hold an axe and a deer as is typical of South Indian Siva images. The base of the pedestal is square and supports a lotus stand and two short slender columns presumed to be attachments for other parts now missing.
Label
He came
holding the vina,
the smile upon his lips
swept my heart away,
he did not turn back
to look at me,
he spoke
enchantingly,
he came to Valampuram [a temple town--
there he abides.
With these eloquent words, the seventh-century Tamil saint Appar sang of a similar bronze of Shiva, holder of a lutelike instrument known as the vina. Shiva's two front hands are poised to hold the now missing vina, while two rear hands hold the battle-axe and his pet antelope, whose head is unfortunately lost. Half hidden in the matted locks piled on his head are the serpent and the crescent moon. The worn details along the front of the image--the elaborate patterned fabric of his garment, the dhoti, is visible only from behind, for example--speaks of its continued ritual worship down the ages. In this elegant image, the bronze caster has captured the essence of Shiva as master of music.
The art of casting temple bronzes blossomed under the Chola rulers of south India (ca. 850-1287), in part because deities were visualized as assuming active public roles and participating in an assortment of festivities. Because the stone sanctum image was immovable, portable bronze festival images of the deities were produced. The images could be carried on the shoulders of priests and devotees, and thereby be present in numerous festivities that drew vast crowds to the temple.
(poem translated by Vidya Dehejia)
Provenance
From at least 1960
Dr. Samuel Eilenberg, London [1]
To 1997
Peter Marks Gallery, New York City, to 1997
From 1997
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Peter Marks Gallery in 1997
Notes:
[1] The object has been in the United States from at least 1960, when it was exhibited in a show titled "Masterpieces of Asian Art from American Collections" at the Asia House galleries (according to Curatorial Note 4, Vidya Dehejia, July 15, 1997, in the object record). It was published in the accompanying catalog (see photocopies in the object file).
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History
Body Image (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)
The Thief Who Stole My Heart: The Material Life of Sacred Bronzes in Chola India ca. 850-1280 (Monday, March 14, 2016 - Monday, January 30, 2017)
Arts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas (October 16, 2004 to January 3, 2016)
South Asian Sculpture (February 22, 2000 to June 18, 2003)
Beyond the Legacy--Anniversary Acquisitions of the Freer Gallery of Art (October 11, 1998 to April 11, 1999)
Sculpture of South Asia and the Himalayas (May 4, 1988 to July 9, 2017)
Masterpieces of Indian Art from American Collections (1960)
Previous custodian or owner
Dr. Samuel Eilenberg (1913-1998)
Peter Marks, Inc. (active 1963-2002)
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Date
ca. 950
Period
Chola dynasty
Accession Number
F1997.28
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Sculpture
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
H x W x D: 73.6 x 35.8 x 24.9 cm (29 x 14 1/8 x 9 13/16 in)
Origin
Tamil Nadu state, India
On View
West Building (Freer Gallery of Art), Gallery 01: Body Image: Arts of the Indian Subcontinent
Related Online Resources
Google Arts & Culture
See more items in
National Museum of Asian Art
Data Source
National Museum of Asian Art
Topic
casting
metal
bronze
Hinduism
Shiva
lotus
Chola dynasty (850 - 1280)
India
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Link to Original Record
Record ID
fsg_F1997.28