This phenomenally majestic ‘panchaloha’ bronze statue, made of the traditional five metals as laid down in the Shilpa Shastras – zinc, tin, copper, silver, and gold – is the sacred image of Shiva as Nataraja, performing a ‘tandava’ dance. As the ‘Lord of the Dance,’ this sculptural image is the most remarkable personification of that supreme being on which rests the celestial path of creation, salvation, and destruction. These contrasting yet complimenting qualities are most perfectly realized in the Hindu visualization of the ‘tandava’ of Shiva – a dance that carries various attributes, as seen in this work of art.