Description
Shiva, as Nataraja, performs the energetic tandava dance which represents the dynamism in the cosmos. Throughout this dance, Shiva remains the subduer of Apasmara – the personification of ignorance and darkness. Besides the famous Nataraja pose, there are other poses of Shiva as well which are a part of his dance.
This statue is one of them, created using the traditional method Madhuchistavidhana. Shiva sports the usual Damaru (drum) and Kaalagni (flame cup) in his two upper hands. One of his lower hands is raised in Abhaya Mudra (assurance) and the other drops loosely.
If you look closely at this hand it will resemble the profile of an elephant from forehead to trunk tip. This is known as Gaja Hasta Mudra. He dances on Apasmara. Shiva’s legs bent at the knees form a square and this pose is therefore known as Chatura Tandava Murti.
Special Comments
The statue was created using the Madhuchishtavidhana (Lost-Wax method).
Since the wax model of the statue is destroyed during the making process, every statue made with this method is unique. No copy of such pieces can ever be made.
The green patina on the statue is not natural. It was applied to the piece for aesthetic reasons. You may easily remove it with a commercially available brass cleaning agent. The cleaned statue will, however, get a natural green patina over time due to oxidation.
This bronze statue was 15 years old when bought in 2010.