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Dancing Ganesha

12th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 251
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
Standing on the back of his rat vehicle, Ganesha lifts one leg and tilts his shoulders in an exuberant dance. Two celestial musicians at his feet accompany him with cymbals and drums. Following Pala artistic conventions, he stands on a double lotus that grows out of swirly foliage. At lower left and right are a pair of small donor figures holding their hands together in a gesture of veneration (anjali mudra). The dance of creation and the destruction of corruption performed by his father Shiva to renew the universe is echoed in this exuberant figure of Ganesha.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Dancing Ganesha
  • Period: Pala period
  • Date: 12th century
  • Culture: India
  • Medium: Schist
  • Dimensions: H. 20 1/2 in. (52.1 cm); W. 10 in. (25.4 cm); D. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
    On mount: H. 22 3/4 in. (52.1 cm); W. 10 in. (25.4 cm); D. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by Steven Kossak, The Kronos Collections
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art