
Mark Rasmussen
International Director
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US$25,000 - US$35,000
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International Director
Against a steel blue background, the two benevolent deities attract our eye with colorful outfits and dazzling jewelry. The elephant-headed god Ganesha, worshiped for success and prosperity, comfortably rests in the pleasant companionship of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and the arts. Ganesha's chubby body is painted in brilliant orange, further enlivened by his canary yellow dhoti and gold crown. Facing him, Saraswati holds a lotus bud and stringed vina, symbolizing the arts and sciences. Wearing a pink and white dress and a crimson cape, she sits elegantly on a lotus, representative of light, knowledge, and truth.
In front of them, the deities' vehicles quietly rest on the striped carpet. Ganesha's rat can enhance his ability to remove obstacles, given that the rat's ability to navigate small spaces complements an elephant's sheer strength and size. Saraswati's hamsa, a goose, symbolizes the ability to discriminate between good and evil because according to Hindu lore the bird's tongue is able to sift water from milk.
Compare with a related portrait of the goddess referred to as Candramauli, the 'moon-bearing one' in Skelton, Indian Miniatures, 1960, p.75, no.74, where she wears a similar crown type under parasol above.
Provenance
Mandi Royal Collection
German Private Collection, 1969
Rob Dean Art, London, November 2013