Nataraja, the divine dancer

Description

The monumental bronze Shiva in the collection of the Rijksmuseum is one of the greatest attractions of the Asian Pavilion. The Hindu god dances with elegantly curved arms, his left leg lifted high. His long locks of hair wave around his head. His face shows a serene smile. This specific representation of the dancing Shiva? Nataraja,?King of the Dancers?? grew into one of the most universal symbols of Hinduism. It is all the more striking that no one knows why the Nataraja type was invented, why he looks the way he does, and what he really represents.0This publication tells more about the dancing Shiva in art and the development and meaning of the Nataraja image. It goes without saying that particular attention is devoted to the impressive Shiva in the Rijksmuseum, to his original function as a processional bronze and to the extraordinarily virtuous way he was cast? which even with modern technology would be a true tour de force.