Bronze has an advantage in casting an intricate sculpture compared to other metals in that it is easy to pour into a mold, yet is also extremely durable. The Chola dynasty artists of southern India frequently used bronze to create religious icons which needed both intricate details and an amount of portability for worship purposes. A wax casting technique was employed to allow for artists to create fine elements in elements in wax, then creating a mold which can have hot liquid bronze poured into it.

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This Hindu deity is in the classic “cosmic dancer” pose, known as “Nataraja” in Tamil, taken by the god Shiva as he performs a dance to destroy the universe in preparation of creation by Brahma. The four arms depicted in the statue are a typical attribute of Shiva, as is the general pose taken in this work. This copper statuette was created in the time of the Chola dynasty in Southern India during the 10^th century, which saw a devotion to Shiva predominate.

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Buddhism spread across Asia from the beginning of the first century CE to 500 CE; this resulted in the creation of a vast array of Buddhist art in a variety of countries. This art still had some unified themes, particularly in depictions of the Buddha, which could demonstrate important points to new believers. This includes the Buddha sitting in the lotus position, a cross-legged pose that is the chief position for Buddhist meditation and contemplative practices.

In Hindu mythology, every deity has a vahana, or animal mount. This has a number of purposes, ranging from highlighting certain attributes of a deity to creating different kinds of symbology from a plain depiction of the deity. Notable vahanas include Vishnu's eagle, Ganesha's mouse, and Laksmi's elephant.

The circular plan of the stupa encourages adherents to walk around the sacred object in the middle, a movement otherwise known as circumambulation.

Image: Great Stupa at Sanchi commissioned by Emperor Ashoka, c. 300 BCE–100 CE. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanchi#/media/File:Sanchi_Stupa_from_Eastern_gate,_Madhya_Pradesh.jpg.

Commissioned by the emperor Ashoka during the 3rd century BCE, the Great Stupa at Sanchi was constructed to house the relics of the Buddha and is the oldest known stone structure in India. 

Image: Great Stupa at Sanchi commissioned by Emperor Ashoka, c. 300 BCE–100 CE. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanchi#/media/File:Sanchi_Stupa_from_Eastern_gate,_Madhya_Pradesh.jpg.

Stupas were built to represent Buddha's body. The top of the stupa was his head, the middle was his body, and the bottom was his crossed legs.

The stupa is a solid object. Therefore it cannot be entered. Practitioners were meant to walk around the stupa, which is also known as circumambulation. This was meant to be a meditative walk that could allow the practitioner to think about the teachings of Buddha.

The David Vases were made for a Doaist temple alter. One of the most important parts of the vases are a dated inscription. 

This statue of Shiva was created under the Chola dynasty of southern India in the 10^th century, a time and place in which the worship of Shiva was preeminent. Such a statue would have been used in religious ceremonies, particularly as the beliefs of the time held such gods as fully present in believers’ like not dissimilar from the ceremonial role of a monarch.

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