Shiva, roi des danseurs (Nataraja)

Caractéristiques

• The circle of flames that envelops Shiva portrays the continual cycle of destruction and renewal of life, which is activated by the creative energy of Shiva: when Shiva's cosmic dance comes to an end, so too does the world. However, the dance always begins again, initiating the process of recreation. Shiva's dance also symbolizes the destruction of evil, denoted by the dwarf whom he tramples underfoot. Despite his power to destroy, Shiva also seeks to protect the world and his devotees. His forward right hand is raised in a gesture (mudra) that means "Do not fear", while his forward left hand points down to his raised foot, signalling that all who approach him with devotion may find protection at his feet. The Nataraja image brilliantly illustrates both calm and the flux that exist in the world. The face of this cosmic dancer is impassive, serene and at peace, while the rest of his body twirls and swirls in response to the flow of energy that moves the world.
• The cow is the very picture of all that India has traditionally valued - purity, selflessness, and resourcefulness. She consumes little, yet gives generously of what she has. She may live in the least-scrubbed of gaushalas (cow-sheds), off old hay and vegetation; yet just one of her is enough for a family to thrive on. Her fertile udders yield the purest of milks and butters. Even the wastes she gives off are rich with nutrients that enrich the medium we grow our food (crops) on, properties that benefit and arguably heal our bodies. The colour of the cow is as pristine as her maternal nature. She feeds the babies of the ungrateful human with as much fervour as she feeds her own calves. The cow has been revered in the subcontinent since her pivotal role in the days the Sarasvati Valley Civilisation flourished. It is of little wonder then that the peoples of the subcontinent venerate her as one would a senior member of the family, and consider gauseva (service of the cow) one's sacred duty.This is a powerful work of art that could serve to overpower vastu-dosha in modern-day spaces. No matter the inconducive influences that beset your space, they have no power over the blessing of the cow. In this composition, the naturalistic musculature of India's most-loved pashu (animal) has been finished with a great degree of skill and a keen sense of aesthetics on the part of the brassworker. She stands with her head tilted sideways, while a calf and Gopala Himself nourish themselves at her teats. She has been bedecked with jewellery at her neck, horns, hump, and rump. Her limps are strong and concludes in a set of flawlessly sculpted hooves. Her tail is thick, the strands on its tip caresses her hooves. Numerous devas and devees of the Indian pantheon have been engraved on her skin in order to indicate that in her resides the entirety of Hindu divinity. The beauty of detail in each one is best observed by zooming in. The whole composition rests on an engraved pedestal resting on vine-clad legs. Note the peacock along the edge of the same that seemingly totters about the cow with its plumage down.
• The Nava-Lakshmi is a rare, composite iconography of Devi Lakshmi. Of Hinduism’s presiding deity over wealth or resource, these nava (nine) roopas (forms) of the Devi each stand for nine different sources of wealth. Because the Ashta-Lakshmi (‘ashta’ is Sanskrt for eight) is so much more common, this Nava-Lakshmi collection will be a conversation-starter in the home of the devotee.It is an ensemble of nine engraved brass plates. They are square in shape and consistent in terms of all three dimensions. Each brass plate depicts a distinct roopa of Lakshmi. There is uniformity in the stance - they are all seated in lalitasana, on a wide temple-like throne with pillars and an elaborate aureole with a flower motif at the zenith.From the chaturbhujadharini (four-armed) to the ashtabhujadharini (eight-armed), this work encompasses every chhavi (image) of the divine. Details such as the pleats of the Devis’ sarees, the multi-tiered crowns, and the implements in their hands have been carved with remarkable precision and clarity, given the scale of the work.