Bronze icons of Nataraja cast during the Chola period invariably show the deity with

Chola bronzes standardized the iconic four-armed form of Nataraja. The Nataraja idol became a central motif of Chola devotional art and temple culture, representing Shiva in his human/dancing form and inspiring sculptural production in the period [1]. Detailed descriptions of canonical Chola Nataraja bronzes specify the four hands: the upper right holds the damaru (drum), the lower right shows abhaya (protection) mudra, the upper left bears the flame, and the lower left assumes a gesture such as gaja-hasta or points toward the lifted foot — a configuration consistently recorded in Chola examples [2]. This four-armed schema is the standard iconographic type for Chola Nataraja bronzes.

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 11: Later Cholas and Pandyas > Religion > p. 162
2. [2] https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/heritage/article30182550.ece