Ganesha, marble, India, 19th century.

A semi-plastic sculpture depicting Ganesha, a Hindu deity with an elephant’s head, a human body and two pairs of hands. According to Hindu mythological accounts, one of his tusks was to be used as a stylus to write down sacred texts or chopped off by Parashurama during a conflict with the deity; this motif is interpreted as a symbol of sacrifice and Ganesha’s connection to knowledge and science. However, the sculpture on display also lacks a second tusk, probably due to past damage. The deity’s head is crowned with a diadem, and the entire figure is depicted against a smooth, semicircular wall (stele). Ganesha is seated on the pedestal in a cross-legged seated position, with one pair of hands resting on her knees and the other raised to shoulder height. In her raised hands she holds elongated attributes (in traditional iconography these include a noose and an elephant hook). He has a prominent belly, which symbolizes prosperity. At the foot of his seat is placed a small ball, interpreted as the traditional modaka sweet. This is the deity’s favorite sweet and symbolizes the supreme sweetness of spiritual enlightenment, pure wisdom and the inner joy that awaits a person after overcoming all of life’s obstacles and his own ego. The overall design is characterized by compactness and schematicism of representation – both the silhouette and details have been treated in a simplified manner.

Dimensions: 29 cm (height) x 16.5 cm (width) x 6 cm (depth)
Weight: 5.7 kg