Celestial Dancer - F|S Sculpture of South Asia and the Himalayas

Celestial Dancer

Exuberant figures of celestial dancers and musicians adorn Hindu temples to honor and delight the enshrined deity. Fashioned as a decorative bracket, this dancer graced a temple commissioned by one of the Hoysala kings (reigned circa 1047-1346) from the southern state of Karnataka.

A passion for ornament—evident in this dancer's extravagant jewelry and the scrolling vine that surrounds her—distinguishes the style of Hoysala artists. The Ganesha opposite. also from the Hoysala dynasty, has similarly intricate and resplendent ornaments

India, state of Karnataka
12th century
Chloritic schist
PURCHASE FRIENDS OF ASIAN ARTS S1996.38