This finely carved sandstone lintel shows Shiva as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer, presiding over a luxuriant field of vegetal scrolls and minor deities above the main sanctuary door of Prasat Sikhoraphum (Surin, Thailand). The dynamic posture, multiple arms and rhythmic composition express Shiva’s power to create, preserve and destroy the universe in a single ecstatic dance. The lintel exemplifies the refined Khmer sculptural style of the Angkorian period, where religious symbolism and decorative virtuosity are perfectly balanced.
