{"data":{"id":24548,"api_model":"artworks","api_link":"https:\/\/api.artic.edu\/api\/v1\/artworks\/24548","is_boosted":true,"title":"Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja)","alt_titles":null,"thumbnail":{"lqip":"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhBQAFAPQAAH16bYuEaYmEboWCcIaEc4+OiI2NjI6OjpCQiZaTiZaVj5aWj5mWjpmZk5uakp6bkpqZlqOhnKSjnainoaqpp6ysqa2sqba2uLe3uQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAFAAUAAAUV4IEwhaEMArE4ECA11pNUFBYF0xUCADs=","width":3480,"height":3900,"alt_text":"A bronze sculpture of the Hindu divinity Shiva. Shiva, who has two pairs of arms, is depicted dancing inside of a circular ring. Balancing on one leg, Shiva gestures his arms to the side and front, as his loose locks of hair flow behind him."},"main_reference_number":"1965.1130","has_not_been_viewed_much":false,"boost_rank":null,"date_start":901,"date_end":1100,"date_display":"Chola period, about 10th\/11th century","date_qualifier_title":"","date_qualifier_id":null,"artist_display":"India\nTamil Nadu","place_of_origin":"Tamil Nadu","description":"<p>Shiva, one of the most important Hindu divinities, is here depicted as the Lord of the Dance (<em>Nataraja<\/em>), an iconic image in Indian art. Shiva\u2019s cosmic dance sets in motion the rhythm of life and death; it pervades the universe, as symbolized by the ring of fire that is filled with the loose, snakelike locks of the god\u2019s hair. One pair of his arms balances the flame of destruction and the hand drum (<em>damaru<\/em>) that beats the rhythm of life while another performs symbolic gestures: the raised right hand means \u201cfear not,\u201d and the left hand (<em>gajahasta<\/em>) pointing down toward his raised left foot signifies release from the ignorance that hinders realization of the ultimate reality. Shiva is shown perfectly balanced, with his right leg planted on the demon of darkness (<em>Apasmara<\/em>), stamping out ignorance. The tiny figure of the personified river goddess, Ganga, is caught up in his matted, flowing locks. Shiva was believed to break the fall of the great Ganges River as it descends from the Himalayas by standing beneath the waters, which divide over his hair, becoming the seven holy rivers of India. This classic bronze comes from the Chola period in the south of India. Icons such as this were carried in procession during religious ceremonies.<\/p>\n","short_description":"In this sculpture, the Hindu divinity Shiva, depicted as the Lord of the Dance (Nataraja), performs a cosmic dance that sets in motion the rhythm of life and death. Considered one of the most sublime images in Indian art, the dancing Shiva destroys everything, allowing creation to start all over again. His right leg, planted on the demon of darkness, stamps out ignorance.","dimensions":"69.3 \u00d7 61.8 \u00d7 24.1 cm (27 1\/4 \u00d7 24 1\/4 \u00d7 9 1\/2 in.)","dimensions_detail":[{"depth":24,"width":61,"height":69,"diameter":null,"clarification":null}],"medium_display":"Bronze","inscriptions":null,"credit_line":"Kate S. Buckingham Fund","catalogue_display":null,"publication_history":"The Essential Guide (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 2013), p.116.\n\nThe Essential Guide (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 2009), p.102.\n\nTanya Treptow, Shiva Nataraja, \"The Silk Road and Beyond: Travel, Trade and Transformation\", Museum Studies, 33, 1 (Art Institute of Chicago\/Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2007), pp. 42-3.\n\nThe Essential Guide, rev. ed. (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 2003), p. 88.\n\nPratapaditya Pal, Sculptures from South India in Art Institute of Chicago, Museum Studies, 22, 1 (1996), p. 26, fig. 6.\n\nThe Essential Guide (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1993), p. 88.\n\nRecent Acquisitions of Asian Art by American Museums, Archives of Asian Art (1965-66), p. 85, fig 5.","exhibition_history":"Chicago, Ill, Art Institute of Chicago, Gallery 135, June 24, 2005-November 21, 2008.","provenance_text":"Sold to the Art Institute of Chicago by William H. Wolff Incorporated, New York City, September 15, 1965.","edition":null,"publishing_verification_level":"Web Cataloged","internal_department_id":8,"fiscal_year":null,"fiscal_year_deaccession":null,"is_public_domain":true,"is_zoomable":true,"max_zoom_window_size":-1,"copyright_notice":null,"has_multimedia_resources":true,"has_educational_resources":false,"has_advanced_imaging":false,"colorfulness":18.4319,"color":{"h":43,"l":37,"s":41,"percentage":0.00464453607988602,"population":37},"latitude":41.8795375628462,"longitude":-87.6227470859884,"latlon":"41.879537562846,-87.622747085988","is_on_view":true,"on_loan_display":null,"gallery_title":null,"gallery_id":null,"nomisma_id":null,"artwork_type_title":"Sculpture","artwork_type_id":3,"department_title":"Arts of Asia","department_id":"PC-7","artist_id":null,"artist_title":null,"alt_artist_ids":[],"artist_ids":[],"artist_titles":[],"category_ids":["PC-7","PC-831"],"category_titles":["Arts of Asia","Essentials"],"term_titles":["bronze","bronze","casting (process)","dancing","South Asian","metal","sculpture","asian art","chola","gods (deities)","Hindu","religion","Shiva Nataraja"],"style_id":"TM-5344","style_title":"South Asian","alt_style_ids":["TM-5442"],"style_ids":["TM-5344","TM-5442"],"style_titles":["South Asian","chola"],"classification_id":"TM-28","classification_title":"bronze","alt_classification_ids":["TM-33","TM-13","TM-26"],"classification_ids":["TM-28","TM-33","TM-13","TM-26"],"classification_titles":["bronze","metal","sculpture","asian art"],"subject_id":"TM-12142","alt_subject_ids":["TM-12066","TM-12130","TM-11421","TM-12143"],"subject_ids":["TM-12142","TM-12066","TM-12130","TM-11421","TM-12143"],"subject_titles":["dancing","gods (deities)","Hindu","religion","Shiva Nataraja"],"material_id":"TM-2430","alt_material_ids":[],"material_ids":["TM-2430"],"material_titles":["bronze"],"technique_id":"TM-3881","alt_technique_ids":[],"technique_ids":["TM-3881"],"technique_titles":["casting (process)"],"theme_titles":["Essentials"],"image_id":"cf50f037-5fb2-e197-0e56-3ae701edb3e2","alt_image_ids":[],"document_ids":["0f5293cb-626b-ee91-81f1-ed14623ce3fd","a8dabe2b-9c27-b59d-2964-f9f532fb785d"],"sound_ids":["0f5293cb-626b-ee91-81f1-ed14623ce3fd","a8dabe2b-9c27-b59d-2964-f9f532fb785d"],"video_ids":[],"text_ids":[],"section_ids":[],"section_titles":[],"site_ids":[],"suggest_autocomplete_boosted":"Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja)","suggest_autocomplete_all":[{"input":["1965.1130"],"contexts":{"groupings":["accession"]}},{"input":["Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja)"],"weight":24634,"contexts":{"groupings":["title"]}}],"source_updated_at":"2026-06-23T15:54:46-05:00","updated_at":"2026-09-01T20:56:20-05:00","timestamp":"2026-09-01T23:15:42-05:00"},"info":{"license_text":"The `description` field in this response is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Generic License (CC-By) and the Terms and Conditions of artic.edu. All other data in this response is licensed under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) 1.0 designation and the Terms and Conditions of artic.edu.","license_links":["https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/","https:\/\/www.artic.edu\/terms"],"version":"1.15"},"config":{"iiif_url":"https:\/\/www.artic.edu\/iiif\/2","website_url":"http:\/\/www.artic.edu"}}