DANCING SHIVA Bronze India , 16th to 17th century Dimensions: Height 16 cm by 13,5 cm Weight: 361,6 grams Dancing Shiva on a prostrate dwarf demon lying on a lotus throne with square base. Shiva has four arms and is in a dynamic motion, the face is smiling and he is wearing a headdress with the crescent moon, a flower and a skull. The limbs are long and slender, his tresses flying out in thin strands. A flaming aureole surrounds him. A depiction like this of the divine dancer is called Nataraja and refers to his cosmic dance in which the universe is created.