NARRATOR:
Admired for its poise and majesty, this slender image of the Hindu god Shiva is also the earliest Chola bronze in the Norton Simon collection. It depicts Shiva as Tripurantaka, “destroyer of the three cities.”
STORYTELLER:
Legend speaks of powerful demons who worshiped Shiva. Pleased by their worship, he granted them a boon whereby they would live and rule over three cities made of gold, silver, and iron. He placed these cities in the heavens, in the air, and on the earth. For a thousand years the demons lived in them, creating havoc while their powers grew. Finally, they caused consternation among humans and gods alike. None could vanquish the demons, for only a single arrow could be used to defeat them. So the gods appealed to Shiva.
NARRATOR:
The master sculptor who created this image portrayed Shiva as self-confident and relaxed. He leans casually on his long bow, once held in his raised left hand, and his right would have held the arrow. Shiva can be distinguished by his tall hairstyle bearing a crescent moon, the snake on his shoulder his serpent bracelets and the third eye in the center of his forehead.
Shiva as Victor of Three Cities (Tripuravijaya)
c. 875
India: Tamil Nadu, Tandantottam
On View
In his iconic form as Shiva the Destroyer of the Three Cities (Tripurantaka), the god is depicted in a heroic stance, with his legs bent in a pose called dvibhanga. Originally, Shiva’s outstretched hands would have held a bow and arrow. According to legend, demons created havoc in three celestial cities. The demons could only be destroyed with a single arrow when the cities converged, which happened rarely. Gods and humans pleaded with Shiva to restore order by destroying the demons. When the cities converged, Shiva shot his arrow, setting all three cities—and the demons—on fire.
Details
- Title: Shiva as Victor of Three Cities (Tripuravijaya)
- Date: c. 875
- Medium: Bronze
- Dimensions: overall: 30-1/2 x 14-1/2 x - 5/8 in. (77.5 x 36.8 x 14.3 cm)
- Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
- Accession Number: F.1972.45.07.S
- Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation
Object Information
- Dehejia, Vidya, Asian Art: Selections from the Norton Simon Museum,fig. 6 p. 41
- Dehejia, Vidya, The Thief Who Stole My Heart: The Material Life of Chola Bronzes from South India, c. 855-1280,2021, 2.6 p. 57
- Dehejia, Vidya, Art of the Imperial Cholas,ill. 26 p. 34
- Nagaswami, R., Lalit Kala, p. 36
- Dehejia, Vidya, The Sensuous and the Sacred: Chola Bronzes from the South of India,fig. 1 p. 110
- Srinivasan, P. R., Bronzes of South India, pp. 147-150
- Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 1: Art from the Indian Subcontinent,no. 167 pp. 220-221
- Khandalawala, K., Lalit Kala, p. 37
- Guy, John, Vidya Dehejia, et al, Chola: Sacred Bronzes of Southern India,2006, fig. 15 pp. 27-28
- Lerner, Martin, Chhavi-2,
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best,2010, cat. 874 p. 347
- Norton Simon Museum Newsletter,
- Knoke, Christine, Arts of Asia, p. 67
- Dehejia, Vidya, The Thief Who Stole My Heart: The Material Life of Chola Bronzes from South India, c. 855-1280,2021, 1.16 p. 35
- Barret, Douglas, Marg, 84-86
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