Popular Science Lecture Series

About Program

This is part of its efforts to popularize science to the General Public and Students who are pursuing science as their career. TNSF attempt to focus on students on higher science as everyone knows that learning of science at college within the curriculum is not enough to acquire holistic knowledge of science at the appropriate time. Hence, to fill the gap between what students are acquiring through the curriculum and what it is required, TNSF is planning its activities on higher science to students who are pursuing higher education.

In an era preceding the Renaissance, the early medieval Tamil Chola bronzes in several interesting ways represents a remarkable synthesis bringing together aspects of art, technology, devotional poetry, dance and philosophy. From a study of the metal technology of south Indian icons made by the author using technical finger-printing methods of lead isotope ratio and compositional analysis on around 130 icons from leading museums in India and the UK, it was possible to explore some issues of the chronology, provenance and art historical classification of south Indian metal icons ranging from the early historic to late medieval period, including the Pallava, Chola, Vijayanagara and Nayaka periods of the Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina affiliations (Srinivasan 1996, Arc1999). Insights from continuing metal icon casting traditions as observed at Swamimalai in Thanjavur district, The talk touches upon some of the implications for the background of mining and metallurgy in south Indian antiquity and as well as aspects of exchanges and cultural interactions such as with Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and West Asia (Srinivasan: BAR 1999, JOM 2016). From preliminary archaeo-astronomical studies done by the author in collaboration with the eminent late astro-physicist Nirupama Raghavan and from observations of rituals at the Chidambaram temple in Tamil Nadu where the Nataraja bronze is worshipped, it was speculated (Srinivasan 2006, 2011, 2016) as to whether there may have been some influence on iconographic aspects from stellar observations such as the star positions around Orion and the crab supernova which exploded in 1054 and was observed in many parts of the world, most notably in China.

மறுமலர்ச்சி காலத்திற்கு முந்திய இடைக்காலத்தின் தமிழ் பேரரசுகளில் ஒன்றான சோழர் காலத்திய வெண்கலச் சிலைகள் அக்காலத்திய கலை, தொழில்நுட்பம், பக்தி, கவிதை, நடனம் மற்றும் தத்துவங்களை வெளிப்படுத்துவதாக இருக்கின்றன. இந்த வெண்கல சிலைகளை உலோக தொழில்நுட்பத்தின் மூலம் உலோகத்தின் ஐசோடோப்புகளின் வீகிதத்தை பகுப்பாய்வு செய்வதன் மூலம் அவற்றின் காலவரிசை, ஆதாரம், கலை மற்றும் வரலாற்று வழி வகைகளை அறிந்து கொள்ள இயலும் என்பதை இவ்வாசிரியர் கண்டறிந்துள்ளார்.
இவர் இந்திய மற்றும் இங்கிலாந்தின் முன்னணி அருங்காட்சியங்களில் இருந்து 130 உலோகச் சிலைகளை பகுப்பாய்ந்ததில் இந்திய சாம்ராஜ்யங்களின் பல்லவர், சோழர், விஜயநகர மற்றும் நாயக்கர் காலத்தில் நிலவிய இந்து பௌத்தம் சமண சமயங்களின் இணைவுகளைப் பற்றி அறிய முடிகிறது என கண்டறிந்துள்ளார். (சீனிவாசன் 1996, ஆர்க் 1999)

Program Schedule

Time: 4:00 pm to 5:50 pm - February 06, 2021

Virtual Meeting starts at 03:45 pm onwards

04:00 pm - 04:10 pm

Introduction

04:10 pm - 05:10 pm

Prof Sharada Srinivasan
National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore
Art and Metal Technology of Chola Bronzes

05:10 pm - 05:48 pm

Question & Answer

TAMILNADU SCIENCE FORUM

Speakers

Prof Sharada Srinivasan

Prof Sharada Srinivasan is a Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. She received the Padhmashri, the fourth highest civilian award from Government of India last year in Archaeology in 2019. She has made pioneering contributions to the study of archaeology and history of art from the perspective of exploring engineering applications in these disciplines.
Prof. Sharada Srinivasan’s landmark contributions include archaeometric characterisation of bronzes of South India using lead isotope analysis and archaeometallurgical studies on ancient mining and metallurgy in southern India. These span studies on the production mechanisms of high carbon wootz steel and documentation of artisanal technologies such as Aranmula high tin bronze metal mirror making, bronze casting at Swamimalai and ancient and continuing traditions of high-tin bronze working, while she has worked on artefacts in the Government Museum, Chennai, British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, ASI and so on. Prof. Sharada Srinivasan is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and World Academy of Art and Science. Her awards include the Dr. Kalpana Chawla Young Women Scientist Award for 2011, the Indian Institute of Metals, Certificate of Excellence 2007 and Materials Research Society of India Medal 2006, the Malti B. Nagar Ethnoarchaeology Award (2005), and the DST-SERC Young Scientist Fellowship, the Flinders Petrie Medal 1989 from University of London, the Materials Research Society Graduate Student Award 1996, the DST Nurture Scheme and Young Scientist Awards and the British Chevening Scholarship for her Phd work. She has been a Forbes Research Associate at the Department of Scientific Research and Conservation, Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, USA in 1999 and Homi Bhabha Fellow at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore from 1996-98. She has been a co-recipient of awards from UKIERI, UK, (on pioneering iron and steel metallurgy), AHRC, UK, (on interfaces between archaeology and drama), SSHRC Canada, Royal Society, National Science Foundation and other international bodies. She is first author of the book ‘India’s Legendary Wootz Steel’ and contributing author to ‘Ecstasy of Classical Art’, the bronze catalogue of National Museum, Delhi and co-editor of ‘Digital Hampi’ on digital explorations into the art and architecture of Hampi. She is on the Standing Committee of the international Beginning of the Use of Metals and Alloys Conference. She has also been an accomplished exponent of the classical dance form of Bharata Natyam and has given numerous lecture-demonstrations such as on the artistic and scientific perspectives on the Chola Nataraja bronze at international museums such as Royal Academy of Arts, London (2007) and with a photo-exhibition on the theme at Space City, Toulouse (2009) apart from national venues. She has earned her PhD from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London (1996) on Archaeometallurgy of South Indian bronzes; MA from School of Oriental & African Studies, London (1989) and BTech in Engineering Physics from IIT Bombay (1987).