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Celestial dancer (Devata)

mid-11th century
Not on view
Restituted
This artwork was restituted in March 2023. It is no longer in the museum’s collection.
The Hindu temple is conceived as a heavenly abode for the presiding deity. The building's stepped, indented, and towering exterior evokes the mountains of Indra's heavens, home to the assembly of gods as well as celestial beauties, dancers, and musicians. This life-size sandstone sculpture is an extraordinary rending of a heavenly celebrant performing in honor of the gods. The dancer's face and body are treated according to prescribed canons of beauty. Her body is contorted in an improbably pose, her legs projecting to her right while her upper torso and head turn sharply left. The extreme flexion reflects dance positions (karunas and sthanas) described in the Natyasastra, an ancient dramatic arts treatise. It is understood in Indian aesthetics that such positions enhance the appreciation of beauty.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Celestial dancer (Devata)
  • Period: Chandela period
  • Date: mid-11th century
  • Culture: Central India, Madhya Pradesh
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H. 34 3/4 in. (88.3 cm); W. 20 in.(50.8 cm); D. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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