Ganesha

China, Xinjiang, Pialma (75 km west of Khotan)

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 251

This architectural fragment is one of a small group of early Ganesha images found around the important Silk Road trading center of Khotan in Central Asia. Meeting the worshipper’s gaze with expressive human eyes, it is clear this is no mere elephant, but a god.

The presence of a Hindu deity in a mostly Buddhist kingdom reveals how the religion spread along trade routes. For travelers traversing the long and arduous Silk Road, how appropriate to pay homage to this remover of obstacles and bringer of wealth and abundance.

Ganesha, Stucco with traces of color, China, Xinjiang, Pialma (75 km west of Khotan)

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.