Hindu God Ganesha Artist: Unknown

9th–10th century

Asian Art

On view, 2nd floor, Asian Art

One of the most popular gods in Hinduism, Ganesha acquired his characteristic elephant head when his father, the god Shiva, accidentally beheaded him and was forced by his mother, the goddess Parvati, to replace Ganesha’s missing head. In this piece, the placement of Ganesha’s bent legs suggests that he is dancing. He holds an ax in his upper right hand, an attribute that illustrates his ability to cut through illusions, and there is a small image of a rat, Ganesha’s mount, on the front of the rectangular plinth.

Medium

Sandstone

Dimensions

21 1/4 × 15 9/16 × 5 7/8 in., 75 lb. (54 × 39.5 × 15 cm, 34.02 kg)

Credit Line

Gift of John D. Viener, B.A. 1961

Accession Number

2017.25.1

Geography

India

Culture

Indian

Classification

Sculpture

Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance
Private collection, United States; sold to Kapoor Galleries, Inc., New York, by 1986; sold to John D. Viener, Stuart, Florida, January 1986 [sale, Auctionata, New York, March 24, 2016, lot 25 (unsold)] [Sale, Auctionata, New York, September 21, 2016, lot 77 (unsold)]; given to the Yale University Art Gallery, 2017
This work appears on our "Antiquities and Archaeological Material with Provenance Documentation Gaps" page.
Bibliography
  • "Acquisitions July 1, 2016–June 30, 2017," Yale University Art Gallery Bulletin (2017), 17
Object copyright
No Copyright - United States

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