About This Piece
17″ Divine Nataraja with Arch | Handcrafted Brass | Metal Finish
This 17.5-inch handcrafted brass Nataraja depicts Shiva in the Ananda Tandava pose, mounted within a fully cast prabhavali arch, and finished in a warm brass metal tone. The sculpture measures 17.5 inches in height, 10.5 inches in width, and 5 inches in depth, weighing 6,500 grams — a substantial, altar-weight piece.
The figure is cast and finished by hand, with careful attention given to each element of the iconographic form. The four arms are positioned with precision: the lower right hand is raised in abhaya mudra offering fearlessness, the lower left gestures outward in gajahasta, the upper left hand holds agni representing transformation through fire, and the upper right holds the damaru whose rhythm is said to mark the pulse of creation. Shiva's right foot stands upon Apasmara, the figure of ignorance and forgetfulness, while the left leg is raised in the classic tribhanga lift. The face carries a composed, meditative expression beneath an elaborately worked crown. The flowing jata, anklets, arm cuffs, and draped cloth are each rendered with layered detail that reflects significant skill in the finishing stage. The prabhavali arch is densely worked — flame tips ring the outer edge, peacocks flank the crown of the arch, and makaras anchor the base columns. The tiered lotus pedestal and stepped rectangular base are engraved with repeating motifs consistent with temple-style casting traditions.
Nataraja is among the most complete visual statements in Indian philosophical thought. The Ananda Tandava encodes the five acts of Shiva — creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealment, and grace — within a single form. This iconography has been central to Shaiva devotional practice and classical artistic tradition for well over a millennium.
Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, has been the material of choice for Indian devotional sculpture for centuries. Its density gives the piece solidity and presence, its warm golden tone deepens with age, and it holds fine surface detail without losing structural integrity over time.
The brass metal finish on this piece has a consistent warm gold tone visible across the figure, arch, and base. As with all handcrafted work, individual pieces carry natural variation in surface texture and depth of tone. This Nataraja is well suited to a dedicated puja room, a home altar, a dance studio, or as a considered gift for collectors and practitioners with a serious interest in Indian sculptural tradition.
