Shiva and Parvati
Unknown Artist
c. 950–60
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
base: 21.6 × 79.5 × 24.9 cm · part 1: 81.9 × 48.7 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1961.94
About this artwork
Bronze sculptures made during the Chola period (800s–1200s) are among the most celebrated and popular art forms of the Indian tradition, and the 10th century marks their flourishing peak. The sensual renditions of attenuated, youthful, and athletic forms are barely covered by garments and ornaments that move, yet cling to the bodies. The figures stand with a natural ease, and the volumes have been so skillfully rendered by the artists that they appear to be capable of walking the earth. Their se...