India, Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh, 11th century

Ganesha, the lovable and mischievous elephant-headed god from the Hindu pantheon, is widely revered as the Lord of Beginnings and the Remover of Obstacles. He is worshipped throughout India at the beginning of journeys or undertaking of new endeavors. As such, he is often the first deity encountered in large, multi-sanctum temple complexes, where he is propitiated with a variety of offerings. His rotund belly is not only appropriate to his pachydermic identity, but also reinforces his powers to shower his devotes with abundance. As a paragon of wisdom, he broke off his own tusk and fashioned it into a pen to record the Mahabharata at the time of its recitation by the great sage Vyasa. The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha is one of the most popular gods in modern India.

Deeply carved the present work depicts the six-armed Ganesha bearing his broken tusk, an axe, a radish and a pile of modaks (sweet offerings). The softly rounded contours emphasize the sculpture’s three-dimensionality, creating a naturalistic form. The artist has skillfully carved the seated figure with his left foot poised on its toe, referencing the next moment in which he will rise to dance with joy, following in the footsteps of his father, Shiva Nataraja.