This life-size sculpture of a dancer dressed in red brocade sari and green choli stands in a typical South Indian Bharat Natyam dance pose. She makes the sundari gesture with her right hand, used to depict a graceful maiden or goddess. Devadasis (servants of God) were women dancers who were dedicated to the service and veneration of the deity in the Hindu temple. They were considered auspicious by virtue of their marriage to the deity of the temple. They were also learned in the classical arts and religious practices. This 19th century wooden sculpture is from Karnataka, South India.
