shiva, chola bronze, c. 1000

Shiva as Lord of Music

Archival Details

  • Tradition: Chola Bronze
  • Period: c. 1000
  • Medium: bronze
  • Dimensions: Overall: 76.5 x 45 cm (30 1/8 x 17 11/16 in.); Base: 26 x 25 cm (10 1/4 x 9 13/16 in.)
  • Credit line: Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
  • Source: The Cleveland Museum of Art, accession 1971.117

Chola-period bronzes were cast in South India, chiefly under the Chola dynasty (9th–13th century), using the lost-wax (cire perdue) process. Temple workshops in Tamil Nadu produced processional images of Shaiva and Vaishnava deities that were carried in festival rituals, and the tradition is widely regarded as a high point of Indian metal sculpture for its fluid modeling and iconographic precision.

Artwork Details

Artist

Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund

Tradition

Chola Bronze

File

1788 × 2560 px · JPG · 331 KB

Accession no.

1971.117

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