This specific piece is thought to come from an imperial Chola workshop. The Chola dynasty (c. 850 CE-1250 CE) dominated India’s southeastern plain for four centuries. The dynasty ushered in a new era of cultural progress in literature, art, music, and the Hindu religion. This period's sculpture and architecture impress viewers through its grandeur and intricacy. Many people associate it with the quote from architectural historian James Fergusson: "The Chola artists conceived like giants and finished like jewelers." The Chola dynasty gained wealth from massive conquests, and used that money to fund their durable stone temples and exquisite bronze statues. The Chola pioneered the sculpting method employed in the magnificent bronze statues of Hindu deities known as "Chola bronzes."
Bronze sculptures were mainly kept in Hindu temples. The temples are devoted to a distinct god, and its main purpose is to house that god there. The Hindu religion holds that a god's bodily form can inhabit the image of that god. Devotees have the chance to communicate with the god directly thanks to their power to summon the god's actual presence. All Hindu worship, or darshan, which literally translates as "to see and be seen in return," is centered on this encounter. The main purpose of visiting a temple is to experience this visual encounter, which the devotee and the deity both share.
Teacher-Made Ganesha Lesson Plan- 4th Grade ELA by Emily Sigmund