ANCIENT BRONZES. 
67 
The total height of this fine image is 3 ft. A fuller account is 
reserved for the Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic 
Society.* 
Plate III.—Two figures of Siva as Nata-raja (Nos. 15 and 24f) ; 
one is 2 ft. high, the other hah an inch lower. Both bronzes are 
incomplete, without the halo, and one of them without the whirling 
braids ; the' missing parts no doubt broken off, or perhaps never 
added, as there is no sign of fracture. The figure on the right side 
of the plate is the best finished of all the bronzes. 
Plates IV. and V.—Front and back views. Siva seated at ease 
(sulchasana) with his consort Parvati or Siva-Kami, his cosmic 
energy, “ Mother of millions of world-clusters, yet Virgin by the 
Vedas called.” On Siva’s crown are the sun, moon, and the 
Ganges. In one of his hands he holds a deer, in another a battle- 
axe ; in other respects the ornaments are mostly as in I. and II. 
Parvati holds a lotus bud in hand. 
The two heights of the figures from the base of the pediment are 
2 ft. and 1 ft. 8 in. Both figures are seated upon the lotus throne, 
or padmasana. This bronze is No. 2 in the original list. 
Plate VI.—Siva standing with his consort Parvati and embracing 
her (alinga), surrounded by a halo. The halo (No. 22), height 1 ft. 
3J in., breadth 1 ft. 1 in., was found separately, but fitted upon 
the supports on the main bronze (No. 5), the heights of which are 
1 ft. 3 in. and 1 ft. 1 in. respectively. 
Plates VII. and VIII.—These contain representations of three 
bronzes in different views. The middle figure (No. 12, height 1 ft. 
Idi in.) is Siva in one of his dances called Sandyanirtta wfith his 
consort Parvati (the shortest figure, No. 23, J height 1 ft. 4J in.) 
looking on. The bull in Plate XIV. would naturally form part of 
* [Perhaps it may be thought that the admirable reproductions accompany¬ 
ing this description render unnecessary any further appreciation here of this 
bronze, the first of its class to be recorded from Ceylon. It is desirable, 
however, to be clear upon one point. There are some experts who will declare 
that these bronzes are not so good as South Indian bronzes. Such a statement 
rests upon the conscious or more likely unconscious assumption that Ceylon 
is a paradise of mediocrities, and that whilst it produces many good things, 
it never has produced one really excellent thing. The assumption may be 
correct, but it should be stated explicitly if it is so. 
Other experts will beg the question in an equally grotesque manner by 
claiming that these are in fact South Indian bronzes. Let it be asserted 
once for all that they are Polonnaruwa bronzes for better or for worse.— Ed.'] 
f Colombo Museum Administration Report, 1908. 
| No. 23 is distinguished by the form of the armlet,, a scroll design, not 
clearly shown in the figure. 
