History Gracefully Shaped in Bronze

The Dancing Girl, an ancient bronze statue currently exhibited at the National Museum, Delhi, was discovered at Mohenjo-daro, the site of the Indus Valley civilisation, in 1926. Her elegance of figure and craftsmanship led to a tug of war between India and Pakistan post-partition, with India eventually gaining possession.

The Dancing Girl, in all her uninhibited glory | Source: The Wire

Art possesses a peculiar ability to reconnect with different times, people, and places. Observing a piece of art can transport one to another era, prompting the mind to vividly picture the past. Poets, historians, and artists often find themselves captivated by art, seeking meaning in its forms and unravelling mysteries from the cracks and crevices of statues as if urging the stone to speak and reveal secrets of a lost time.

If humans have failed to define love, they have also failed to describe their eternal love for art. Finding a broken piece of a statue and clinging to it, searching for meaning within the cracks and crevices, reflects a desperate attempt to unlock the mysteries of lost time. The willingness to cling to art, even at the cost of political and social peace, surpasses impossible desperation. Such is the tale of the ‘Dancing Girl’. She is merely an ancient bronze statue, residing at her eternal home at the National Museum, Delhi. Yet, as historians attest, she, a mere statue, managed to spark heated disputes between India and Pakistan. Thus begins the captivating tale of the Dancing Girl.

In 1926, when the nation was still grappling to define its identity as an independent nation and before the existence of Pakistan, British Archaeologist Ernest Mackay unearthed two statues at Mohenjo-Daro, a site directly linked to the Indus Valley civilisation. Crafted with lost wax casting, these bronze statues were so lithe and delicately crafted that the world found it hard to believe they dated back to 1230 BCE.

Curiosity and the anticipation of discovering something significant about the Indus Valley civilisation led to mass investigation and research of the two statues. The statue of a naked girl, adorned with bangles up to her lithe arms, standing inclined in a dancing position, was considered the most fascinating. This statue was later named the ‘dancing girl’, owing to her bent leg that gave her the appearance of dancing diligently.

With legs bending, chin up in a mock-heroic fashion, and bangle-glad hands placed on her sturdy hips, the Dancing Girl was hailed as a sensational beauty in bronze with unmatched charm. Research revealed new findings, such as the common practice of dancing at that time and the prominence of bronze casting in ancient India.

The Dancing Girl holds a precious place in the hearts of historians and archaeologists. Initially transferred by the British to the Archaeological Society of India, post-independence and partition thrust the Dancing Girl into an unpleasant controversy. Possession of the statue became entwined with allegiance and nationality. Pakistan demanded the return of both statues post-partition, along with the equal distribution of around 12,000 artefacts found jointly in Pakistan before partition.

While Pakistan agreed to forgo the Dancing Girl, a 2016 row reignited the possession debate. The statue found alongside the Dancing Girl now rests at the National Museum in Kashmir, Pakistan, while the Dancing Girl resides in India, a figure of national pride in bronze. India has ardently fought for the Dancing Girl, as it has come to symbolise courage and self-confidence. Art, in its mystic ways, has influenced and manipulated minds; the Dancing Girl hypnotised India with an independent zeal that inspired the nation to fight for her possession. In this sense, the Dancing Girl resonates with the artistic authority that India has always aspired to embody.