AN EXTREMELY RARE AND IMPORTANT GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF THE DANCING SHIVA, INDONESIA, 8TH-9TH CENTURY

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AN EXTREMELY RARE AND IMPORTANT GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF THE DANCING SHIVA, INDONESIA, 8TH-9TH CENTURY Expert’s note: The extraordinary surface of this figure is the product of an unusually dramatic interaction between craftsmanship, time, and the natural environment. The original gilding was applied in a remarkably thick and generous layer, forming a resilient skin that has endured centuries of burial, humidity, and mineral accretion. In many areas, the gold remains astonishingly vivid beneath dense blue-green encrustations, its warm brilliance emerging in irregular flashes across the face, torso, limbs, and ornaments. The bronze beneath, however, was more vulnerable. Where the protective gilding was lost or weakened, corrosion advanced deeply into the metal, producing a rugged, almost geological surface of turquoise, malachite-green, and earthen deposits. This striking contrast—between the imperishable nobility of gold and the susceptibility of bronze—has transformed the sculpture in a manner that no artisan could have anticipated. Nature has effectively completed the work, creating a surface of extraordinary depth and complexity. Superbly cast, the weight of the deity effortlessly balanced on his left foot, which is placed upon the hood of a serpent, the right leg raised and bent in an accomplished dancer’s pose. The right hand is lowered toward the bent knee in vitarkamudra, while the left is held loosely above the head in a graceful dancing gesture. Shiva is dressed in a short loincloth secured at the waist by a foliate belt suspending loose sashes and ribbons, the bare torso richly adorned with beaded jewelry. The sensitively modeled face bears a serene expression, with downcast almond-shaped eyes beneath arched brows, a slender nose, and full lips forming a subtle smile. The hair is gathered into a tall jatamukuta, with locks falling to the shoulders. Dimensions: Height 23.5 cm (excl. stand), 27.3 cm (incl. stand) With a fitted modern stand. (2) The dancing pose of the present figure is exceptionally rare in Indonesian sculpture of this period, whether from Srivijaya or Java. Its lively sense of movement and graceful balance find closer parallels in Indian bronzes of roughly the same date, underscoring the broader artistic exchanges that shaped early Southeast Asian Buddhist and Hindu imagery. Compare, for example, an 8th-century bronze figure of Balakrishna in the National Museum, New Delhi, which displays a similarly animated and elegantly poised stance. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Indonesian gilt bronze figure of a standing four-armed Shiva, dated 8th-9th century, 27.9 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2004.556.

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