Copper is the forte of the Nepalese sculptor. Among brass, bronze, and wood, it has its own special place as proof of the regional artisan’s penchant for difficult media. The one you see on this page is a fine example of the same. It depicts the Lord Shiva in His Nataraja-roopa, in the midst of His destructive tandava. It is avidya (ignorance) He destroys through His dance, which is the breeding ground for every imaginable affliction that besets the human psyche. The very image of such debilitating ignorance is the apasmara, the figure that the Lord crushes to death beneath His feet, agony writ large on His face.

A number of aspects set this work apart from your run-of-the-mill Nataraja sculptures. It is a compact composition - the flame-spewing aureole is a perfect round, the asymmetrical dancing figure placed therein filling it up completely. The Lord’s hair is in a bunch of plaits that are flying about His face despite the weight, conveying the intensity of His divine motion. The shringar is minimal but substantial. A cobra dangles from one of His limbs, its hood raised, stance as dynamic is Lord Shiva’s itself.

The lotus pedestal with its petals turned downward is the only suggestion of gentleness in this sculpture. The same is complemented by the Lord’s composure of countenance - calm and drawn in, the very picture of stability and omniscience.