Page 48 - Stone and Bronze, Indian art of the Chola Dynasty, Metropolitan Museum, NYC

FIGURE 53
Parvati, c. 970. Height 35 2 in. Uma-Mahesvara
temple, Konerirajapuram

the Bhogesvari98 (Somaskanda) Parvati99 at Palla-
and
vanisvaram and to the SitaI0o at Teruchcherai, assign-
ing the same date to all of these. The similarities, espe-
cially with the Parvati and the Sita, are striking indeed
and extend to details of the crown, coiffure, hair orna-
ment, jewels, and rippling garment folds. Eyes and eye-
brows of some of the images have been recut so that
they do not have the dreamy expression of the New
York Parvati. The bodies, however, especially that of
the Pallavanisvaram Parvati, are modeled in the same
sensitive and sensuous way; the latter has the same
heavy breasts, the same gently accented waist.
According to Barrett these figures are coeval with the
Konerirajapuram (Figure 53) and Tiruvelvikudi (Fig-
ure 54) bronzes, which can be related to each other and
to dated inscriptions on the former temple (between
969 and 977). In my opinion, these elaborate and ele-
gant images must be at the least a generation later than
the New York Parvati and the bronzes related to it.
When we look back at the reliefs in stone, the first
images that come to mind are the heavenly maidens on
the Nagesvara temple at Kumbakonam (Figures 46,
47), where the treatment of the torso is quite similar,
although the legs are longer and the figures in their en-
tirety are more slender. We notice the very long and
heavy pendant suspended from the waistband. On the
Srinivasanallur relief (Figure 48) the treatment of the
body is close to that of the New York bronze.
The graceful pose of the Durga Pullamangai (Fig-
at
ure 43) is the same as that of the New York Parvati, in-
cluding the lateral inclination of the head. We again
notice the pipal pendant with tassels between the legs,
below the knees. The pose of the Punjai Durga (Figure
of
44) is somewhat more formal, the modeling body and
limbs less sensitive.

98. Barrett, Cola Bronzes, pls. 32-34.
99. Barrett, Cola Bronzes, pls. 35-36.
0oo. Barrett, Cola Bronzes, pl. 44.

FIGURE 54
Kalyanasundaramurti, late x century. Height
37 in. Manalesvara temple, Tiruvelvikudi

76