“Is there a place where I can see something quintessen
tially Tamil Nadu?” asked a journalist friend from abroad. I took him to the bronze gallery at the Government Museum, Egmore. I had spoken to historian Chithra Madhavan about it and consulted a research scholar. In the two hours we had, we could get a glimpse of the social/political/economic/artistic history the beautiful metal collection stands for.
Most of the bronze sculptures date back to the Pallava and Chola periods – 9th-12th Century AD. In terms of variety, casting method, intricate chiselling and idol-making norms, these are among the best art treasures anywhere. “These bronzes stand for the pinnacle of perfection,” said Chithra. “They were meant to speak to you.” Credit for organising the exhibits (around 1938) goes to superintendent F.H. Gravely, and curator Sivaramamurthi. Gravely got detailed studies done, published them in museum bulletins, and gave us the largest collection of metal figures under one roof. The gallery opened in 1963. Some of the icons are in hi-tech, frameless showcases – with float glass, dichroic lighting, Yale locks, German dorma door hinges, Taiwanese exhaust fans and silica-gel compartments.
We looked for marks to identify the eras. Early images are plain, and wear few ornaments. Ornamentation gets finer and plentiful in later times. Weapons point inwards in the early ones, outward later. Facial features get sharper, the chin more prominent. A lot of the idols were unearthed in fertile ( marutham ) lands near the Cauvery, maybe because people had wealth, and could indulge in icon-making. We moved around, noting the special features. Brahma’s (15C AD) four faces join at the four ears, a large pendant hangs from each. His sacred thread separates into four — the inner two reach down to the loincloth before going across his back. The halo stands on a yali -head. He holds a rosary and a pitcher ( kamandalam ), his two other hands showing abhaya (protection) and varada (boon-granting) positions.
The unrefined-but-elaborate Chandrasekara image has a snake coiled around his head-dress and wrists. Chandikeswara, chief accountant for Saivite temples, is to the left. The anjali -groove on his upper left arm evidently had an axe fitted in. His ear-rings and necklaces suggest Chola times. The five-metal Mother Goddess from Adichanallur is the earliest bronze here. The Somaskanda bronzes show family for the first time – some say in answer to the spread of Jainism and Buddhism. Sukhasana (alone and with Uma) wears a double-threaded ‘poonul’ and beautiful necklaces.
Pradoshamoorthy’s consort Parvathi has her hand down in an elegant pose, Veenadhara Dakshinamurthy is in an unusual standing position. Somaskanda holds a trishul, a rare thing, and a bowl, indiciating the Chalukya period. Vishabaharanar’s (Neelakantan) sacred thread goes over his arm. His weapons move inside, indicating the Pallava period. In contrast, the next one is the sharp-nosed Thripurantaka. Veerabadrar has eight hands, wears a garland of skulls, has protruding teeth. The flowing chains on his thighs are 16th-Century embellishments. The main Nataraja is a remarkable piece of work. The collection of Parvathis has breathtaking variety — Kali, Durga, Bhagavathi… adding to the belief that goddesses ruled ancient principalities. The trishul came from Olympia — confirmation of our trade ties with Greece.
Hunter Kannappan sports an arresting ‘konndai’ and ‘kundalam’, Nayanmars carry identification marks — Appar’s broom and anjali hastam, Manikkavasagar's book, Gnanasambandar's halo. Goddess Mahishasura-mardhini has a breast-band with a snake, holds eight different weapons. The demon at her feet is Nisumban, not Mahishasura at all. The Arthanareeswarar from Thiruvenkadu shows extraordinary workmanship. The female part has a shining finish and a graceful posture. The male part has a half-dress with a rough exterior. Shiva has flowing hair, Parvathi’s hair is in a karanda. On the mezzanine floor are captivating Natarajas. Among the Jain (Samana) idols is Yakshi Ambikai, the woman ascetic. Till about the 10th century, Buddha appeared with a robe flowing on one side, but later has it on both sides. The Nagappattinam Buddha wears ornaments, sits under a banyan tree,and has a pillow to support his back. Avalokitesvara is the next Buddha avatar.
The floor above has the display of Vaishnavite statutes — the Rama group, dancing Balakrishna, Vishnu with two hands and Alwars with identification features. As we left, the journalist asked: “Why don’t you have English/Tamil commentaries on iPods that visitors can borrow for better appreciation? What you have is priceless!”
