This paper offers a comparative iconographic analysis of four works of Hindu sculpture: two depictions of Shiva as the Lord of Dance (Nataraja) held at the Smithsonian and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and two depictions of the goddess Parvati — one in her warrior form as Durga at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and one as Standing Parvati at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The paper examines how each work conveys divine identity through visual attributes such as multiple arms, gender, pose, and material, and considers the likely functional contexts of the sculptures, distinguishing between intimate domestic shrines and larger public or religious settings.
In terms of iconography, it is quite clear that the works known as Shiva Nataraja, displayed on the Smithsonian's website, and Siva as Lord of Dance, displayed on the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston's website, are depictions of the Hindu god Shiva. One of the most prominent ways in which this is conveyed is, of course, through the titles of the respective works. However, even if they were untitled, a careful viewer would still recognize them as Shiva. Shiva is a Hindu deity not portrayed as fully anthropomorphic — the presence of multiple arms (far more than two) in each work underscores this point. Additionally, the male physiognomy of the being depicted in both works alludes to the fact that this is a male god, Shiva, "the destroyer of evil."1
In both works, Shiva appears to be dancing. This interpretation rests on several observable details: in each work his limbs cross his body, his face is smiling and serene, and he appears carefully balanced on his feet as though in the midst of motion. The Nataraja form of Shiva is one of the most recognizable in Hindu artistic tradition, and both sculptures conform to that iconographic convention.
The Smithsonian work is constructed of bronze and is fairly small, measuring approximately 70 by 50 centimeters. The other work is constructed of a reddish-colored sandstone and is equally diminutive — barely over a foot tall. Given that these images depict a god, they were apparently produced to assist in the worship of the Hindu religion.
In this respect, the two works share the same kind of functionality. Because of their relatively small size, they were likely used as pieces — if not centerpieces — in a domestic setting. They would probably have been placed in areas of a home dedicated as a shrine to worship, or in parts of a home intended to denote the presence of this god and the blessings he bestowed.
The primary similarity between Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon, displayed on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's website, and Standing Parvati, displayed on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website, is that both depict female goddesses. Since Parvati is considered a major deity within the Hindu religion,2 it stands to reason — in conjunction with the titles of these works — that she is rendered in some form in each of them.
Even without the titles, it is clear that the Metropolitan work depicts Parvati because of the gender of the deity and her evident femininity — conveyed through the smooth, curved lines of her figure, her pose, and her bare breasts above her dress. In the other work, Parvati is implied to be in her Durga form because she is dressed in armor and has clearly engaged in battle with the buffalo demon she is attacking with a rod.
"Larger goddess sculptures imply public or ritual display"
Because of the size of these works, it is logical to infer that they were created and utilized for public display. They may have been placed in governmental buildings or, perhaps more likely, in places of public religious worship, where their scale would have made them fitting focal points for communal devotion.
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