In this lecture, marvels of Indian bronze from their genesis in the ‘Bronze Age’ until recent
fabrications, such as the Nataraja statue for the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN),
Geneva, Switzerland, are highlighted. The beginning of the ‘Bronze Age’, based on the foundations
laid during the ‘Chalcolithic Age’, in different countries is described. Bronze masterpieces were already
made in the Harappan culture of India by means of the lost wax method, as evidenced by the
statue of a dancing girl from Mohenjodaro. Artisans in North India, especially at Bastar in Chattisgarh,
employ a similar method, but with a different style. South India achieved technological excellence
in the ninth to eleventh centuries A.D., with icons rich in aesthetic beauty and sophisticated
iconometry, and of high casting quality. Artisans during the Pallava and Chola periods were inspired
to make icons for worship; a higher motivation with the full patronage of Kings who believed
in a synthesis of art and religion. The style and metallurgy of these icons as well as aspects of their
assessment, conservation and authentication (fingerprinting) have been studied by a team of
scientists at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, the National Institute of
Advanced Studies, Bangalore, and the National Museum, Chennai.