Government of India
Dancing Girl
Keywords: Bronze Sculpture,
The Dancing Girl,
Mohenjodaro,
Indus Valley Civilization,
Harappan Civilization
Publisher: National Museum, New Delhi
Description: This mesmerizing sculpture, famously known as 'The Dancing Girl,' is one of the highest achievements of the artists of Mohenjodaro. The 'Dancing Girl' is a sculpture made of bronze. It belongs to the Indus Valley Civilization and dates back to circa 2500 BCE. It is 10.5 cm in height, 5 cm in width and 2.5 cm in depth. Presently, it is on display in the Indus Valley Civilization gallery in the National Museum, New Delhi.
Historical Significance :- The geographical location of the excavation site of the Harappan Civilisation was chanced upon many times, even minor excavation projects were carried out by archaeology-enthusiasts on their own accord but any artefacts recovered were discarded as historically irrelevant or belonging to a much later time period. It was only in the 1920s when Daya Ram Sahni and R.D. Banerji began excavating in modern-day Harappa and Mohenjodaro did the real importance of the site came to be unearthed. The formal announcement of the discovery of the Indus or Harappan Civilization was made in 1924 by John Marshall, the then Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India. Interestingly, the sculptures are made of a variety of stones that suggest the materials used were selected because of their intrinsic beauty and not entirely on their availability.
Artistic Significance :- This small but unique statue gives us an idea of the skill of the artisans of that time. The statue is named the 'Dancing Girl' owing to her posture, with her right hand on the back of her hip and the left hand resting on her left thigh. Her features are prominent with large eyes, curly hair and a flat nose. She appears to be adorned by a necklace alongside some bangles. Her hair is plaited on the back and neatly tied in a bun. Her arms are unnaturally long which is a common feature of the artefacts of this time. Her head is tilted slightly backwards. An interesting fact to notice is that the number of bangles in her hands differ. She has 24 bangles in one hand and 4 in the other. The sculpture was made using the 'Lost Wax' method wherein molten wax is poured into a mould to create a model. This wax model is then covered with a clay coating, leaving some holes as passageways. When the clay-covered moulds are heated in the oven, the wax melts out. After the mould has cooled down, the outer clay cover is chipped off and the finishing touches are done to the solid bronze statue.
Style :- Indus Valley Civilization
Source: National Museum, New Delhi
Type: Sculpture
Received From: National Museum, New Delhi
| DC Field | Value |
| dc.coverage.spatial | Mohenjodaro, Sindh, Pakistan. |
| dc.coverage.temporal | Ancient |
| dc.description | This mesmerizing sculpture, famously known as 'The Dancing Girl,' is one of the highest achievements of the artists of Mohenjodaro. The 'Dancing Girl' is a sculpture made of bronze. It belongs to the Indus Valley Civilization and dates back to circa 2500 BCE. It is 10.5 cm in height, 5 cm in width and 2.5 cm in depth. Presently, it is on display in the Indus Valley Civilization gallery in the National Museum, New Delhi. Historical Significance :- The geographical location of the excavation site of the Harappan Civilisation was chanced upon many times, even minor excavation projects were carried out by archaeology-enthusiasts on their own accord but any artefacts recovered were discarded as historically irrelevant or belonging to a much later time period. It was only in the 1920s when Daya Ram Sahni and R.D. Banerji began excavating in modern-day Harappa and Mohenjodaro did the real importance of the site came to be unearthed. The formal announcement of the discovery of the Indus or Harappan Civilization was made in 1924 by John Marshall, the then Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India. Interestingly, the sculptures are made of a variety of stones that suggest the materials used were selected because of their intrinsic beauty and not entirely on their availability. Artistic Significance :- This small but unique statue gives us an idea of the skill of the artisans of that time. The statue is named the 'Dancing Girl' owing to her posture, with her right hand on the back of her hip and the left hand resting on her left thigh. Her features are prominent with large eyes, curly hair and a flat nose. She appears to be adorned by a necklace alongside some bangles. Her hair is plaited on the back and neatly tied in a bun. Her arms are unnaturally long which is a common feature of the artefacts of this time. Her head is tilted slightly backwards. An interesting fact to notice is that the number of bangles in her hands differ. She has 24 bangles in one hand and 4 in the other. The sculpture was made using the 'Lost Wax' method wherein molten wax is poured into a mould to create a model. This wax model is then covered with a clay coating, leaving some holes as passageways. When the clay-covered moulds are heated in the oven, the wax melts out. After the mould has cooled down, the outer clay cover is chipped off and the finishing touches are done to the solid bronze statue. Style :- Indus Valley Civilization |
| dc.source | National Museum, New Delhi |
| dc.format.extent | H 10.5 x W 5 x D 2.5 cm |
| dc.format.mimetype | image/jpg |
| dc.publisher | National Museum, New Delhi |
| dc.subject | Bronze Sculpture, The Dancing Girl, Mohenjodaro, Indus Valley Civilization, Harappan Civilization |
| dc.type | Sculpture |
| dc.format.medium | image |
| dc.format.material | Bronze |
| DC Field | Value |
| dc.coverage.spatial | Mohenjodaro, Sindh, Pakistan. |
| dc.coverage.temporal | Ancient |
| dc.description | This mesmerizing sculpture, famously known as 'The Dancing Girl,' is one of the highest achievements of the artists of Mohenjodaro. The 'Dancing Girl' is a sculpture made of bronze. It belongs to the Indus Valley Civilization and dates back to circa 2500 BCE. It is 10.5 cm in height, 5 cm in width and 2.5 cm in depth. Presently, it is on display in the Indus Valley Civilization gallery in the National Museum, New Delhi. Historical Significance :- The geographical location of the excavation site of the Harappan Civilisation was chanced upon many times, even minor excavation projects were carried out by archaeology-enthusiasts on their own accord but any artefacts recovered were discarded as historically irrelevant or belonging to a much later time period. It was only in the 1920s when Daya Ram Sahni and R.D. Banerji began excavating in modern-day Harappa and Mohenjodaro did the real importance of the site came to be unearthed. The formal announcement of the discovery of the Indus or Harappan Civilization was made in 1924 by John Marshall, the then Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India. Interestingly, the sculptures are made of a variety of stones that suggest the materials used were selected because of their intrinsic beauty and not entirely on their availability. Artistic Significance :- This small but unique statue gives us an idea of the skill of the artisans of that time. The statue is named the 'Dancing Girl' owing to her posture, with her right hand on the back of her hip and the left hand resting on her left thigh. Her features are prominent with large eyes, curly hair and a flat nose. She appears to be adorned by a necklace alongside some bangles. Her hair is plaited on the back and neatly tied in a bun. Her arms are unnaturally long which is a common feature of the artefacts of this time. Her head is tilted slightly backwards. An interesting fact to notice is that the number of bangles in her hands differ. She has 24 bangles in one hand and 4 in the other. The sculpture was made using the 'Lost Wax' method wherein molten wax is poured into a mould to create a model. This wax model is then covered with a clay coating, leaving some holes as passageways. When the clay-covered moulds are heated in the oven, the wax melts out. After the mould has cooled down, the outer clay cover is chipped off and the finishing touches are done to the solid bronze statue. Style :- Indus Valley Civilization |
| dc.source | National Museum, New Delhi |
| dc.format.extent | H 10.5 x W 5 x D 2.5 cm |
| dc.format.mimetype | image/jpg |
| dc.publisher | National Museum, New Delhi |
| dc.subject | Bronze Sculpture, The Dancing Girl, Mohenjodaro, Indus Valley Civilization, Harappan Civilization |
| dc.type | Sculpture |
| dc.format.medium | image |
| dc.format.material | Bronze |
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