Dancing Ganesha
This ten-armed dancing Ganesha holds his broken tusk, weapons, a pot with sweetmeats, and many other attributes that have broken away. Two snakes—one stretched above his head, the other drawn across his chest as a sacred thread—are attributes that connect him to his father, Shiva. Unlike smaller portable images cast in metal, this large, sandstone example would have been placed in a temple niche to remove obstacles standing between the worshipper and the divine.
As leader of the ganas (nature deities), Ganesha stands in a pose that emphasizes his playful and rambunctious nature—in contrast to his father Shiva’s cosmic dance of creation and destruction. As remover of obstacles, Ganesha clears a path to access Shiva while also bestowing wealth and prosperity.
As leader of the ganas (nature deities), Ganesha stands in a pose that emphasizes his playful and rambunctious nature—in contrast to his father Shiva’s cosmic dance of creation and destruction. As remover of obstacles, Ganesha clears a path to access Shiva while also bestowing wealth and prosperity.
Artwork Details
- Title: Dancing Ganesha
- Period: Kalacuri dynasty
- Date: ca. 10th century
- Culture: India, Madhya Pradesh
- Medium: Red sandstone
- Dimensions: H. 36 in. (91.4 cm); W. 20 in. (50.8 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2007
- Object Number: 2007.480.2
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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