Archival Details

• Tradition: Chola Bronze
• Period: c. 1250
• Medium: bronze
• Dimensions: Overall: 57 x 31 x 23 cm (22 7/16 x 12 3/16 x 9 1/16 in.); Base: 18.8 x 32 x 22.5 cm (7 3/8 x 12 5/8 x 8 7/8 in.)
• Credit line: Gift of Dr. Norman Zaworski
• Source: The Cleveland Museum of Art, accession 1973.187

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.