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Lot 3228W
A BLACKSTONE STELE OF DANCING GANESHA NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, CIRCA 10TH CENTURY
20 March 2018, 18:30 EDT
New YorkUS$80,000 - US$120,000
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A BLACKSTONE STELE OF DANCING GANESHA
NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, CIRCA 10TH CENTURY
23 in. (58.4 cm) high
23 in. (58.4 cm) high
Footnotes
The sculptor has afforded Ganesha an immediate and arresting gaze that captures and holds the viewers' attention in his empathetic eyes, face, tall chignon, and beautiful trunk. Conveyed with a regal countenance, he seems to be locked in the rhythm of his celestial dance, in the brief silence before the next beat of the drum or clash of the symbol – so transfixing is the darshan he offers.
The overall image is finished with a fine polish, giving the stele a beautiful sheen and maximizing the contrast created by incised crisp details. Ganesh appears in his most popular eight-armed dancing form, with his top left arm struck outwards for counterbalance as he shifts the weight about his hips. His sweet bowl consists of one large single whipped offering.
The sculptor has taken great efforts to portray Ganesha's two most prominent features: his elephant head and his great potbelly sagging under its own weight. Ganesha's endearing stomach indicates prosperity, and on a metaphysical level, it is a symbol of his ability to digest all experiences and conquer all desires. One humorous myth explains how he came to become Lambodara, 'the pot-bellied'.
"To show off his wealth, Kubera once invited Shiva and Parvati to a banquet. They suggested that he feed [their son] Ganesha instead. Kubera laughed and scornfully declared that he could feed many children like their son. At this, Ganesha fell upon the food, devouring everything, till there was none left for the other guests. He then started eating the floral decorations and soon moved on to the furniture. Ganesha's belly became enormous, but he was still hungry. At Kubera's most urgent request for help, Shiva gave him a handful of roasted rice and told him to serve it to Ganesha with humility. Kubera did so and Ganesha's hunger was immediately satisfied."
As Grewal inteprets, "this story implies that the material world, represented by Kubera's feast, cannot bring satisfaction. Only the consuming of unfulfilled desires, symbolized by the roasted rice which cannot germinate, bestows fulfillment." (Grewal, Book of Ganesha, New Delhi, 2009, pp.113-4.)
A later but closely related example from Bengal, attributed to the 11th century because of the profuse ornamentation carved into the backplate, is published in Lal Nagar, The Cult of Vinayaka, New Delhi, 1992, pl.44. The relatively sparse backplate of the present lot is an indicator of a 9th/10th century date. The present lot also compares favorably to another related example, formerly of the Heeramaneck collection, sold at Christie's, New York, 19 March 2013, lot 262.
Provenance
Private New York Collector
Christie's, New York, 21 March 2001, lot 16
Private Manhattan Collection
Christie's, New York, 16 September 2008, lot 373