Lot 91
**Originally Listed At $1250**
Central Asia, India, ca. 18th century CE. A hand-carved black basalt depiction of Ganesh (also Ganesha or Ganapati), the elephant-headed deity known as the "Remover of Obstacles." Ganesh's portly state is the result of his well-known infatuation with sweets, and he sits with one bent leg while holding his arms atop his knees. In his upper hands he holds several ritualistic objects or weapons, and he is attended by a mouse, rat, or shrew next to his feet. He is flanked by a pair of female attendants wearing elaborate gowns with incised details accentuated with applied puja (red camwood powder) and faint traces of light-blue pigment. A fine example of intricate Indian artistry! Size: 3.8" W x 2.9" H (9.7 cm x 7.4 cm).
Esteemed as one of the principle deities of the Hindu pantheon, the first son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha is known as the Lord of Plenty or the god of auspiciousness, highly revered as the regulator of all obstacles with the power to create and remove them. Followers traditionally ask for his blessings at the beginning of any new paths or serious endeavors. The origin of his unusual physiognomy, particularly how he came to possess such an unusual head is the source of many legends, the most popular is that one day when Shiva was away from home, Parvati created a human son from her own body. She asked her son to guard the door while she was bathing. Quite unexpectedly, Shiva returned home, and the boy would not allow Shiva to enter his own household. Enraged by this, Shiva cut off the boy's head. Parvati grew quite angry and ordered Shiva to replace his head. Shiva did so with the first living being he encountered: an elephant.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Kapil Jariwala Gallery, London, England
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#145112
- Condition: Small losses to peripheries, with softening to several areas of finer details, fading to original pigmentation, and light encrustations within some recessed areas. Nice earthen deposits and traces of original pigmentation throughout. Old inventory label on verso.
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