A stone figure of Ganesha

INDIA, KARNATAKA, HOYSALA PERIOD, 11TH/12TH CENTURY

Details

A stone figure of Ganesha
India, Karnataka, Hoysala period, 11th/12th century
The four-armed portly deity seated on a lotus base over a stepped throne, holding his goad, conch, tusk and bowl of sweets, wearing beaded jewelry encircling his belly, the face with trunk curling to his left flanked by fan-like ears and topped by an elaborate headdress, backed by an aureole centered with a kirttimukha mask, his rat vehicle below
22¾ in. (57.7 cm.) high

Provenance

The James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, Chicago, acquired before 1983

Literature

Pratapaditya Pal, A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, 1997, p. 57 and 286, cat. no. 64

Exhibited

On loan to Art Institute of Chicago since 1983

Lot Essay

In his text, Pal comments that this sculpture is a "handsome example of the exuberant style" developed by the Hoyshala kingdom. The throne, aureole and figure himself are lavishly and ornately carved, with scarely any surface left unembellished except for his skin.

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