June 12, 2021 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm –

Sacred bronzes, dressed, adorned, and taken in procession through temples and towns are a familiar sight throughout Tamil Nadu and its surrounding areas. But did we know that the practice of parading sacred images in this manner dates back at least 1500 years? And that adorning them with silks and jewels has a similar ancient ancestry?

Dr. Vidya Dehejia gives us glimpses of newly uncovered research material in her recent book, The Thief Who Stole My Heart: The Material Life of Sacred Bronzes from Chola India, 855-1280 (Princeton University Press, 2021).