(Tamil Nadu)

Government State Museum

The Government State Museum in Madras is best known for two important collections of sculpture from Amaravati and its Bronze Gallery.

The Amaravati Collection has panels, pillars, carved railings and Buddha statues of milky white marble from a Buddhist stupa excavated at Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. Believed to be erected by Ashoka around 2nd century BC, the sculpture reveal contemporary architecture, costumes and ordinary occupations of people. Most famous are the Taming of the Elephant Nalagiri, Dream of the Buddha's mother Maya, episodes of the Buddha's life andjataka stories. There are also sculpture from the later PaUava, Chola, Hoysala and Chalukya periods. The Bronze Gallery is housed in a separate building. South Indian bronzes are a tribute to the highly complicated lost wax process or ci" elegance and beauty are highlighted by a fluidity of movement especially those dating to the Pallava and Chola period (9th to 13 th centuary AD). Gods from the Hindu pantheon dominate and are classified under saivate and Vashnative groups. Prominent among these are powerful Natrajs, Shiva performing the dance of creation a Chola Ardhnarisvara the Lord who is half woman, a 9th century Somaskanda from North arcot district. A 10th centuary Chola group of Rama, sita. Lakshmana and Hanuman.

Top