Beyond Bollywood Audio Exhibition
Plaque Depicting Dancer and Instrumentalist, circa 100–1 BCE, India; Uttar Pradesh, terracotta, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Samuel Eilenberg Collection, gift of Samuel Eilenberg, 1986.142.376, H. 5 in. (12.7 cm); W. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm); D. 7/8 in. (2.2 cm)
Verbal Description
Hello, my name is Julie Desai. I am a community partner of the Cincinnati Art Museum. I will be reading the verbal description for Plaque Depicting Dancer and Instrumentalist in Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in Art.
This terracotta Plaque Depicting Dancer and Instrumentalist is from India, specifically the state of Uttar Pradesh. It dates to around 100 to 1 BCE. It is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Samuel Eilenberg Collection. It was a gift of Samuel Eilenberg. The accession number is 1986.142.376.
This 12.7 x 9.5 centimeter plaque is bursting with movement. It shows two figures formed in a sandy-colored terracotta clay. On the right, a female performer dances, her feet and left elbow breaking the frame of the plaque. Her left hand is on her hip, her right is thrust upwards. Her left leg holds her weight while her right steps behind, left toes touching the ground next to her right foot. She wears bells on her ankles, and her trailing garments swing with her movement. Her hair is piled on her head and adorned with jewels. Her attire includes a sash across her left shoulder and tied at her right hip, large hoop earrings, arm bands, necklaces, and bangles. The dancer is accompanied by a musician playing a harp-like instrument to her right. Seated on a mat, he tilts his head up to watch the dancer. He is dressed in a simple garment that crosses over his left shoulder. He, too, appears to be wearing many bangles on his wrist and a turban on his head. The figures are flanked by pillars on either side. In the upper two corners there are small holes, suggesting a method to hang the plaque.
Label Text
Hello, my name is Julie Desai. I am a community partner of the Cincinnati Art Museum. I will be reading the label for Plaque Depicting Dancer and Instrumentalist in Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in Art.
This terracotta Plaque Depicting Dancer and Instrumentalist is from India, specifically the state of Uttar Pradesh. It dates to around 100 to 1 BCE. It is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Samuel Eilenberg Collection. It was a gift of Samuel Eilenberg. The accession number is 1986.142.376.
A female performer dances to the music of a harp-like instrument. It is unclear whether the dance is fast or slow in tempo, swinging widely through the dance area or tending to stay in place. Details may reveal hints; the dancer’s feet, elbow, and upraised hand break through the confines of the pavilion she performs in, suggesting movement that is more exuberant than delicate.
While it is unclear whether this dance was for entertainment or part of a ritual or ceremony, the dancer’s captured position, with lower legs crossed and one hand raised high, recalls the often-depicted posture of female nature spirits. Such nature spirits are seen, for example, on railings at the Buddhist sites of Bharhut and Sanchi in central India. Later, the Buddha’s mother assumes a similar position in Gandharan reliefs depicting and celebrating the birth of the Buddha-to-be.