Studies in Indian Art c8.s1.t4.9

c8.s1.t4.9

The male torso, with its developed muscles and stout limbs depicted in a frontal position is explicit in expression. But the figure of the dancer standing on the right leg with the left one thrown towards the proper right in a delicate pose presents some difficulty of identification as to its sex. It is taken as a male figure. But, as Marshall noticed its ‘soft and effeminate’ built, no one can fail to be impressed with the rythmic animation in the various limbs and pose as peculiar to a female body (*Fig. 14 b*). This is writ large in the broad hips (पृथुश्रोणि), contracted waist (मध्ये संग्राहा) *and* somewhat narrower region between the shoulders (विम्वष्टान्तरंसा; these epithets are applied to the beauty of a woman, *ŚB*.1.2.5.16, 3.5.1.11). The breasts with nipples attached in the holes are certainly not so prominent as in the clay figurines but compare favourably with those of the girl in bronze.