Sensuous Spirituality Chola Exhibit Explores Hindu Worship and Beauty by Natalie Koss The Lord of the Dance is keeping watch at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. No, not the Irish Lord of the Dance. But Shiva Nataraja, a Hindu god and the centerpiece of ìThe Sensuous and the Sacred: Chola Bronzes From South India,î an exhibit of 70 such statutes that runs through March at the Sackler Gallery. The first U.S. exhibition devoted to the art of Chola temple bronzes, these portable processional images present a striking historical and cultural portrait of ninth- to 13th-century India. Integrating highly stylized motifs with the delicate modeling of gods and goddesses, this period represents a rare moment in art history, in which function and style result in a visual feast for the viewer. ìAs is characteristic of Indian art,î said guest curator Vidya Dehejia, ìChola bronzes combine visions of the sensuous with notions of the sacred. For both the artist and the viewer, this suggests external beauty is a condition for inner beauty.î The exhibit combines artistic achievement with religious inspiration that transfers the viewer to another time and place. Although many of the works are small in scale, they exemplify graceful forms, technical sophistication, and demonstrate the integral role of sculpture in Hindu worship. The regal poise of Uma and the impish charm of the elephant-headed Ganesha in particular illustrate the flowing movement and supple modeling of the Chola bronze. Both sculptures are intricately detailed and rendered in a rich, sinuous form that embodies the exhibitís religious inspiration and festive quality. What isnít surprising is that the Chola bronzes represent some of Indiaís most spectacular works of art. Upon entering the exhibit, the viewer immediately notices that the sculptures are different from art anywhere else in the world of that period. During this age, bronze casting reached a level of unparalleled excellence, and sculptors created masterful works. The Chola dynasty also marked an important religious transition. Hindu priests would ritually enliven the portable bronzes and then parade them out of temples to meet devotees. During this time, worshipers began to visualize their deities as having public personas. Perceived as living entities, the deities became part of many rituals and festivities. In the exhibit, one Shiva figure is displayed richly adorned in silk and gem-encrusted gold jewelry, the opulent state in which Chola audiences encountered deities at the festivals. The exhibit also demonstrates the Hindu belief that god is a single being, worshiped in many forms. ìTo Hindus, multiplicity is as natural as singularity is to the monotheist,î noted Dehejia. ìAlthough a Hindu may worship the god Vishnu, they may worship other gods such as Shiva, Durga or Ganesha, as well as Christ and the Prophet Muhammad.î The Hindu priests, whose task was to purify the statues, transmuting them into embodiments of the divine, were the only people who viewed these works in their unadorned form. They are now on view for everyone, and it is this tension between the devotional Hindu and the secular appreciation of Chola bronzes that the Sackler exhibit seeks to address. The golden age of the Chola dynasty would not be complete without literary and musical achievement. To that end, poems by Hindu saints are included throughout the exhibit to further evoke emotion and create an atmosphere in which cultural and religious development was at its apex. They illustrate specific visions of the gods and their glorious deeds. Adding to this context is the sound of ritual drums and chanting piped into the exhibit hall. The bronzes represent paradoxical mingling of the spiritual and the sensual characteristics of Indian art, according to Dehejia. For both artist and devotee, the divine beauty of these religious figures is inextricably linked to their external splendor. ìThe Sensuous and the Sacred: Chola Bronzes From South Indiaî runs through March 9 at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave., SW. After its run at the Sackler Gallery, the exhibit will travel to Dallas and Cleveland. For more information, please call (202) 357-2700 or visit www.asia.si.edu. Natalie Koss is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.