Brass Nataraja murti, green patina, 8 inch

The Nataraja is probably the most heavily read image in Indian art, and almost every element in it carries a stated meaning. The drum in the upper right hand is sound, and with it creation; the flame in the upper left is dissolution. The lower right hand is raised in the gesture of do not fear, and the lower left points down at the raised foot, which is the refuge. The figure crushed underfoot is the demon of forgetfulness and inattention.

The ring of flame around the whole thing is the cycle within which all of that happens, and the whole piece is a statement that creation and dissolution are one process rather than two events. It is why the image travelled so far beyond devotional use, and why it turns up in physics departments and on book covers. Understanding that makes it a more interesting object to own than a decorative bronze.

The green patina here is an antiquing treatment rather than genuine verdigris, applied and then polished back on the raised surfaces. On an image this busy, where the appeal is entirely in the outline and the ring, a darkened finish reads far better across a room than bright brass, which flares and flattens the detail under a lamp.

At 1.8 kilograms and eight inches across the ring, this needs width rather than height. The ring is the widest point, it is thin, and it is what will catch a sleeve or a duster. That is the single practical thing to plan for: place it where nothing passes close to it, because the ring is the part of a Nataraja that gets bent, and it is bent once and then permanently.

It is worth being clear about where this image belongs. Shiva is not the deity of Braj practice, and a Nataraja would not be found at the focus of a Vrindavan household shrine, which is given over to the divine pair. A great many Indian homes keep a Nataraja without any contradiction arising, often as much for the artistry as for worship, and that is an honest thing to say about it.

It is fair to say that a good many Nataraja sculptures are bought for what they are rather than for worship, and there is nothing to apologise for in that. This is one of the great images in world art and it deserves to be owned as such. If it goes into a room rather than into a mandir, it is still a considered object well made, and describing it honestly is better than pretending it is something else.

What to look for before buying

Look closely at the ring. The circle of flame is cast thin and it is the weak point of every Nataraja ever made. Check the photographs for a ring that is true rather than slightly oval, look for any join where it meets the base, and when it arrives check that it has not been knocked out of plane in transit. A bent ring is the commonest damage on this form and it is effectively unrepairable.

Check the raised foot and the fingers. The raised leg, the outstretched arms and the fingers making the gestures are all thin sections that a cheap mould renders as blobs. Zoom in and check that the two lower hands are actually making distinguishable gestures rather than being lumps at the ends of arms. That detail is the meaning of the image, and a casting that loses it has lost the point.

Know that the patina is a surface. Green antique here is applied rather than grown, and it behaves like any other antiqued finish: it sits thin on the metal and abrasives take it off. If you would rather have something you can polish to a shine, buy plain brass. If you like the darkened look, buy it and accept that dry dusting is now the only cleaning it will ever get.

Keeping it, and where it sits

Dust it with a soft dry cloth and a brush for the ring and the detail, and do nothing else. The manufacturer's own instruction on this piece is a soft dry cloth, and that is not laziness on their part: patinated finishes are preserved by being left alone and spoiled by being cleaned.

Do not use brass polish, metal cleaner or any acidic paste. Those will lift the green unevenly, leaving bright metal at the high points and dark recesses, which on a piece meant to look aged reads simply as damage. There is no way back from it short of stripping and redoing the whole finish.

Keep water off it entirely. This is not a murti for abhishek: water marks an applied patina and gets into the joins at the base and the ring, and the resulting green deposits are a different, unwanted green from the one you paid for. Keep any offerings on a thali in front of it.

Place it where nothing brushes past. Give the ring clear air on both sides and above, keep it back from the edge of a shelf, and if it has to be moved, carry it by the base with the other hand supporting the ring rather than gripping it. Almost every damaged Nataraja was damaged while somebody was cleaning around it.

None of this is required. What Maharaj Ji actually asks for is set out on the teachings page, the sayings he repeats most are on the quotes page, and the stotras are free to download as PDFs. If you are planning to visit Vrindavan, read how to meet Maharaj Ji first.

Also worth reading: frequently asked questions , and the photo gallery.