Figure

Item number Eg95 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Sculpture of Shiva. Male with four arms dancing in an ring of flames; stands with left leg on back of a small demon figure; leg on the right raised in front of other leg, knee bent. Upper hand on left holds a kettle drum and the upper hand to the right presents a flame. The lower hand at left is held in the abhayamudra gesture with the wrist encircled by a serpent. The lower hand to the right has wrist bent across the body pointing down to the leg. Supported on a low rectangular pedestal on a lotus base.

History Of Use

For daily use in a small temple or household; the form is derived from famous Early Medieval depictions of Shiva Natesa.

Cultural Context

daily worship

Iconographic Meaning

Shiva, as Nataraja or Natesa (Lord of Dance, stands on the dwarf demon of ignorance (Apasmara or Muyalaka). He makes the abhayamudra gesture, symbolizing freedom from fear. The drum symbolizes sound, the first of the fine elements which announces creation. The raised hands of the figure represent protection, the ring of flames symbolizes destruction, salvation is symbolized by the raised foot, and refuge to the human soul is symbolized by the foot trampling the dwarf-demon.