Shiva, one of the chief Hindu gods, is a very complex figure. He is the master of life, death, and rebirth; a fertility deity, worshipped in the phalic lingam; an ascetic yogi; and the loving husband of his wife, Parvati. Suitably, this fascinating god is embodied in one of the richest artistic images in Hinduism, that of Shiva as Nataraja, or lord of the dance. Shiva Nataraja, 11th Century, Bronze, India