WASHINGTON D.C., USA, November 8, 2002: In an exhibit billed as “The Sensuous and the Sacred,” the Smithsonian Institution will introduce the American public to Chola bronzes. The show, opening Sunday at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, includes a 28-inch bronze statue of Manikkavachakar, a poet-saint of South India who lived 1,200 years ago. This is the first time an exhibit devoted to Chola bronzes has been assembled in the United States, said guest curator Vidya Dehejia, professor of art history at Columbia University. Icons of Siva, Parvati and other Hindu Gods are included in the statues on display that were made by unknown sculptors during the Chola Dynasty in South India. The Chola kings ruled the southeastern area of India, now known as Tamil Nadu, from 850 to 1300 CE. “For the artist, and also for the viewer, the external beauty of form is almost a condition for inner spiritual beauty,” said Vidya. “The two have to go hand in hand.” Artists molded the figures in beeswax and surrounded it with clay that took the form of the wax. Heated from outside, the wax melted, was poured out and replaced with molten bronze. A video at the exhibit will show how this “lost wax” process is used today to create works of art in India. Additionally, live demonstrations will be scheduled. After the exhibit closes in Washington on March 9, it will travel to the Dallas Museum of Art, April 4 to June 15, and to the Cleveland Museum of Art, July 6 to September 14. HPI adds: Some Hindus consider the title of this exhibit, “The Sensuous and the Sacred,” as an unfortunate description of these bronzes, which are regarded by Hindus as sacred and intended for temples. The title seems intended to increase attendance at the exhibit by implying an element of sexuality not present in the images.
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