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The Thief Who Stole My Heart: The Material Life of Sacred Bronzes from Chola India, 855–1280
The first book to put the sacred and sensuous bronze statues from India's Chola dynasty in social context
From the ninth through the thirteenth centuries, the Chola dynasty of southern India produced thousands of statues of Hindu deities, whose physical perfection was meant to reflect spiritual beauty and divine transcendence. During festivals, these bronze sculptures--including Shiva, referred to in a saintly vision as "the thief who stole my heart"--were adorned with jewels and flowers and paraded through towns as active participants in Chola worship. In this richly illustrated book, leading art historian Vidya Dehejia introduces the bronzes within the full context of Chola history, culture, and religion. In doing so, she brings the bronzes and Chola society to life before our very eyes.
Dehejia presents the bronzes as material objects that interacted in meaningful ways with the people and practices of their era. Describing the role of the statues in everyday activities, she reveals not only the importance of the bronzes for the empire, but also little-known facets of Chola life. She considers the source of the copper and jewels used for the deities, proposing that the need for such resources may have influenced the Chola empire's political engagement with Sri Lanka. She also investigates the role of women patrons in bronze commissions and discusses the vast public records, many appearing here in translation for the first time, inscribed on temple walls.
From the Cholas' religious customs to their agriculture, politics, and even food, The Thief Who Stole My Heart offers an expansive and complete immersion in a community still accessible to us through its exquisite sacred art.
Published in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
From the ninth through the thirteenth centuries, the Chola dynasty of southern India produced thousands of statues of Hindu deities, whose physical perfection was meant to reflect spiritual beauty and divine transcendence. During festivals, these bronze sculptures--including Shiva, referred to in a saintly vision as "the thief who stole my heart"--were adorned with jewels and flowers and paraded through towns as active participants in Chola worship. In this richly illustrated book, leading art historian Vidya Dehejia introduces the bronzes within the full context of Chola history, culture, and religion. In doing so, she brings the bronzes and Chola society to life before our very eyes.
Dehejia presents the bronzes as material objects that interacted in meaningful ways with the people and practices of their era. Describing the role of the statues in everyday activities, she reveals not only the importance of the bronzes for the empire, but also little-known facets of Chola life. She considers the source of the copper and jewels used for the deities, proposing that the need for such resources may have influenced the Chola empire's political engagement with Sri Lanka. She also investigates the role of women patrons in bronze commissions and discusses the vast public records, many appearing here in translation for the first time, inscribed on temple walls.
From the Cholas' religious customs to their agriculture, politics, and even food, The Thief Who Stole My Heart offers an expansive and complete immersion in a community still accessible to us through its exquisite sacred art.
Published in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
- GenresArt
336 pages, Hardcover
Published May 11, 2021
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February 9, 2024
This is an extraordinary book on the chola bronzes, the art of creating portable bronze sculptures that blossomed during the Chola rule. The book is a remarkable scholarly achievement. It also remains extremely accessible to read. The bronze statues were a significant innovation, it galvanized the temple and its rituals as central to the world view of the people living in Tamilnadu. To this day this tradition continues, I grew up in Srirangam a famous temple town and I have witnessed how the temple festivals brings together people living in these towns. The key to these festivals is the idea of a portable deity (referred to as the Uthsava murthy in Srirangam). These portable deities participated in these festivals, they were carried out in processions around the town, they listened to music and poetry, they enacted ritual marriages, went to riverbeds or a beach to have a holy dip etc. These festivals made Hinduism accessible to the masses, they could participate in these festivals.
The book details how this art got started in the ninth century. How the bronzes were dedicated initially to replace the wooden images in existing temples. Slowly and steadily the art blossomed with various forms of Shiva created in bronze. In the early stages of the Chola rule, the kings and people seemed to have favored the Shiva as the victor of three forts, then we see the Dancing Shiva becoming the favorite. We also see how beautiful and Sensuous these idols were and how the masters became more and more refined over a period. Vidhya Dehija also identifies various schools or work shops having their own artistic touches and brilliantly explores the artistic beauty of the idols.
The book also captures how the Cholas were meticulous in documenting the idols donated to the temple through inscriptions. It is curious to see not only royal patronage but people belonging to different social strata donating idols to temples. People also donated money, goats which were then used to provide ghee for lamps to provide illumination for the temple.
We are able to see how temples were important centres determining the various facets of Chola rule like the economic, cultural, political etc. For instance temples provided loans to villagers who then repaid them as food, milk back to the temple which were then used to provide food for the people. The book also details how these idols might have been buried in the soil during invasions and in time they were completely forgotten. Most of these idols were accidentally unearthed after remaining buried for hundreds of years. This explains the green patina they have on their bodies.
Remarkable book.
The book details how this art got started in the ninth century. How the bronzes were dedicated initially to replace the wooden images in existing temples. Slowly and steadily the art blossomed with various forms of Shiva created in bronze. In the early stages of the Chola rule, the kings and people seemed to have favored the Shiva as the victor of three forts, then we see the Dancing Shiva becoming the favorite. We also see how beautiful and Sensuous these idols were and how the masters became more and more refined over a period. Vidhya Dehija also identifies various schools or work shops having their own artistic touches and brilliantly explores the artistic beauty of the idols.
The book also captures how the Cholas were meticulous in documenting the idols donated to the temple through inscriptions. It is curious to see not only royal patronage but people belonging to different social strata donating idols to temples. People also donated money, goats which were then used to provide ghee for lamps to provide illumination for the temple.
We are able to see how temples were important centres determining the various facets of Chola rule like the economic, cultural, political etc. For instance temples provided loans to villagers who then repaid them as food, milk back to the temple which were then used to provide food for the people. The book also details how these idols might have been buried in the soil during invasions and in time they were completely forgotten. Most of these idols were accidentally unearthed after remaining buried for hundreds of years. This explains the green patina they have on their bodies.
Remarkable book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review