Important Notice

Granite
13th Century

Chola Dynasty
Tamil Nadu

Height: 37.5 in (93.5 cm)


Ganesha, the lord of wisdom and the remover of all obstacles is perhaps the most revered deity in India. No new venture begins without a prayer to this mighty son of Shiva.

Sculptural representations of Ganesha are seen from the 5th century onwards, from various regions of India. The style, proportion and ornamentation vary from dynasty to dynasty. The Guptas and Rashtrakutas in the North and the Chalukyas in the South created some fine early specimens. The beauty of the form of Ganesha is such that it is a craftsman's delight. The elephant head, trunk and pot belly give a lot of scope for a carver to exhibit his talent and creativity.

This large and important image of Ganesha was clearly the creation of a master. The sculpture has great movement and proportion. Vinayakar is shown in his usual four-handed form in a very relaxed posture. He wears an ornate crown. The trunk is very realistically modeled. The eyebrows are raised and the eyes are large and prominent adding a characteristic expression to the face. The ears are well defined with even the veins visible. Their small size gives prominence to the trunk. Two upper and lower arms branch out from the broad sloping shoulders. In the upper ones Ganesha holds a pasa or 'noose' and an axe. His long trunk dips into his cupped lower hand which holds his favorite sweet. His other lower hand bears the broken tusk with which it is said he wrote an Epic. The pot belly so characteristic of Ganesha is very artistically carved. The weight makes it overlap a part of his waist. A sacred thread passes over his left shoulder and goes over his belly. His lower vestment is a short tight dhoti. The legs are aptly carved, and deliberately shown as short and chubby to give the look of a baby. They are well rounded and the feet stand at ease. A round pedestal at the bottom completes the composition.

Superb workmanship and proportion, realistic posture, excellent body movement and superb condition make this important Chola sculpture a treasured work of art.

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