Lot 23J
Southeast Asia, Cambodia, ca. 19th century CE. A finely carved sandstone statue of the elephant headed Ganesha, seated in half lotus position with legs crossed under his belly. Ganesha's portly state is the result of his renowned love of sweets; note that he holds a tasty fruit in one hand and what appears to be a broken tusk in the other. He is wearing a half sari sash and is further adorned with an elaborate head ornament; both garments are embellished with wavy,striated details. The figure sits upon an integral stone platform. Black wood museum-quality platform base. A breathtaking example! Size: 11-3/4"H x 7-1/2"W (29.8 cm x 19.1 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: Ex-private northern Colorado collection; ex-private Andrew Thompkins collection, Australia, 2002.
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#110908
- Condition: Normal surface wear from age. Square stone platform shows losses. Tusk in hand is broken. Overall very good.
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