South Indian Bronzes: A Historical Survey of South Indian Sculpture with Iconographical Notes Based on Original Sources c9.72

c9.72

From the examples at our disposal it is not possible to piece together a connected history of the evolution of South Indian bronzes which must await further and exhaustive researches. Till then we must be content with a tentative grouping of the examples discovered by us based on a general study of their stylistic peculiarities. As we have found very few of these examples can be dated and those which can be associated with the date of a particular temple in which they have been found offer interesting proof of the fact that the bronze image makers never lost their high artistic skill and that from time to time one will be inclined to call decadent and amidst the numerous inferior images of later times, will find now and then one or two masterpieces which hold their heads up above the generally mediocre character of contemporary works. A very characteristic example will be found in the image of dancing Krishna (Plate IX) which is comparatively modern work. The accompanying sakis which encumber the central figure display a marked disparity in technique and conception as compared with the fine modelling and vitality of the dancing figure.