Introduction
Theft of a priceless historical sculpture, why?
So, when I read about the theft of the iconic sculpture of the ‘Dancing Girl’ from the prestigious National Museum, I was shocked.
But I was more shocked when I learnt that this crime was committed by an eminent professor. I am refraining from naming him in my blog; I felt very sorry for his students as well.
I am still finding it hard to understand the need of stealing the valued historical possession, then I recalled theft of Nobel Prize of Sri Rabindranath Tagore, years ago from the iconic Vishva-Bharati University Museum in Shantiniketan, West Bengal on March 25, 2004, we are still clueless about the original prize, though the Swedish Academy provided two replicas of the prize to the university in December, 2004.
With a lot of CCTV cameras installed everywhere, we can easily trace the miscreants in no time, so this time, the police caught the said professor of a reputed university and recovered the sculpture soon after it was stolen.
Isn’t this pathetic?
With a great history and a plethora of historical monuments well secured, preserved, and safeguarded, we stand taller than any other country in this sense ( the British robbed us of many masterpieces when India was under their reign).
Our fight to preserve our historical monuments is now harder, as the masterpieces are hot items on the black market and the international art galleries.
India is such a vast country that its essence continues to allure enthusiasts, researchers, and seekers of spirituality for ages.
The enduring character of India is so eternal, so dynamic in all her striking diversities.
Harappan civilization, also known as the Indus Valley civilization at the time of discovery, flourished in the Indian subcontinent around 4500 years ago.
Mohenjo-Daro: Bronze casting.
At Mohenjo-Daro in Sindh and at Harappa in Western Punjab, now in Pakistan, impressive remains of a systematic, significant civilization have been discovered by the British excavators.
The remains revolutionized the concept of ancient history, and for India, it clarified the earliest picture of India’s incredible past.
India: The Indus Valley Civilization: Harappan Civilization.
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, the two major sites, are among the earliest and finest examples of civilized human history.
The Harappan sculptors were outstanding at handling three-dimensional volumes.
Surprisingly, there is evidence of bronze casting during the Harappan civilization.
It’s fascinating to think about how the Harappan civilization might have engaged in bronze casting, which adds an unexpected layer to our understanding of their achievements. This discovery helps us appreciate the ingenuity and creativity of that remarkable society.
Cire Perdue or the lost wax technique – The onset of a civilized society, the end of the Stone Age, craftsmen of the Indian subcontinent were making bronze sculptures.
Dancing Girl:
The sculpture ‘Dancing Girl’ is the world’s oldest bronze sculpture to date.
Dancing Girl: Mohenjo-Daro – National Museum, New Delhi, India.
Found in Mohenjo-Daro, this four-inch figure depicts a naked girl wearing only ornaments, including bangles in the left arm and an amulet and bracelet on the right arm.
With the right hand on her hip, she stands in a ‘tribhanga’ dancing position.
With 24-25 bangles in her left hand, she is seen holding an object in her palm, which rests on her thigh.
The necklace has three big pendants.
Her long hair has been styled in a big bun, resting on her shoulder.
Year- 2300-1750 BCE.
Dimensions – 4 ⅛ *2 inches (10.5*5 cm).
Decoding of the encrypted sculpture.
Dancing Girl of Mohenjo Daro – an imagination that is way too exclusive for the present-day artists.
A skill that is still in vogue.
Knowledge that is still relevant for modern art.
The dancing girl is not a grown-up woman.
This could be a girl who is on the brink of adolescence.
Though the girl is naked, she has ornaments on her body to hide her modesty.
The girl’s posture speaks volumes. Her unusually long hand appears peculiar, yet her facial expression conveys grace and nobility.
Conclusions.
Women/ females have been an eternal subject for artists for ages.
When it comes to immortalizing beauty, women are second after the almighty God.
The statue of the dancing girl symbolically celebrates the artistic skill of the craftsmen of the time.
The enduring character of India, as exemplified by the Harappan civilization, is both timeless and dynamic, with a strong focus on women.
Introduction to the topic
The remarkable aspect of Indian culture is that, alongside all the progress, it has kept on changing, whereas the cardinal spirit of the culture has continued.
https://:thedancinggirlofMohenzodaroIt is interesting to note that at the dawn of India’s story, she doesn’t appear as a pulling infant, but already grown up in many ways. She is not oblivious of life’s ways, lost in dreams of a vague and unrealizable supernatural world, but has made considerable technical progress in the arts and amenities of life.
Jawaharlal Nehru, The Discovery of India.