2011/01/01 by Johannes Beltz · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · #Art History and Market Analysis #Fashion and Cultural Textiles #Museums and Cultural Heritage #Icon #Hinduism #Reinterpretation #Appropriation #Sign (mathematics) #Popularity #Bronze #Visual arts #History #Art #Art history #Ancient history #Aesthetics #Religious studies #Computer science #Philosophy #Political science #Law
paper · doi:10.1163/187489210x553566
openalex publication_date 2011/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Abstract Today, in addition to the Om sign or the image of Ganesha, the image of the dancing Shiva is one of the best known Hindu symbols in the world: the 'Nataraja' is not only omnipresent in museums; his image adorns holy cards, posters, holiday brochures, as well as countless websites and diverse esoteric and academic book covers. This article examines how this image could attain such great popularity. It focuses on processes of cultural appropriation and reinterpretation. Originally a southern Indian processional bronze, the dancing Shiva became transformed into a museum artwork and a universal icon. This paper traces the different actors, networks and interactions behind this career from southern Indian temples to the stages of the Western world.