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5. Tympanum depicting Shiva Vietnam Cham Period, 10th/11th century Sandstone Height: 28 in (71 cm) |
Provenance: Private American collection, acquired 1970. A dancing, four-armed Shiva, wearing simple garments, holding (clockwise from lower right) a linga and yoni, a noose and a rosary, supported by Nandi and flanked by a female figure holding a child and a flywhisk on his left and Hanuman eating a fruit on his right, all within a molded frame. The dance pose is quite formal however the flowing ends of his dhoti denote movement. A touching feature is the adoration of Nandi as he licks his master’s knee, and the whole scene has a serene and spiritual quality. The sculpture would have been placed above a doorway of a temple. For a similar style of carving see an image of Vishnu on Garuda published in Jean-Francois Hubert, The Art of Champa, Parkstone Press Int., USA, 2005, p. 165, fig. 163. |