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GANESHA AND SARASWATI In front of them, the deities’ vehicles quietly rest on the striped carpet.
MANDI, CIRCA 1730-1740 Ganesha’s rat can enhance his ability to remove obstacles, given that
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; inscribed in Takri in upper the rat’s ability to navigate small spaces complements an elephant’s
border: sheer strength and size. Saraswati’s hamsa, a goose, symbolizes the
Sri ganesaye namah / sri sarda ji fa[gun] pra[vishte] likhi sakji; ability to discriminate between good and evil because according to
translated, “Adoration to Lord Ganesha! Goddess Sharada, [painting] Hindu lore the bird’s tongue is able to sift water from milk.
written by Sakji on the first day of the Falgun Month”.
Image: 9 3/8 x 14 5/8 in. (24.3 x 35.8 cm); Compare with a related portrait of the goddess referred to as
Folio: 11 3/8 x 16 3/4 in. (29.4 x 40.9 cm) Candramauli, the ‘moon-bearing one’ in Skelton, Indian Miniatures,
1960, p.75, no.74, where she wears a similar crown type under
$25,000 - 35,000 parasol above.

Against a steel blue background, the two benevolent deities attract our Provenance
Mandi Royal Collection
eye with colorful outfits and dazzling jewelry. The elephant-headed god German Private Collection, 1969
Ganesha, worshiped for success and prosperity, comfortably rests in Rob Dean Art, London, November 2013
the pleasant companionship of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge
and the arts. Ganesha’s chubby body is painted in brilliant orange,
further enlivened by his canary yellow dhoti and gold crown. Facing
him, Saraswati holds a lotus bud and stringed vina, symbolizing the
arts and sciences. Wearing a pink and white dress and a crimson
cape, she sits elegantly on a lotus, representative of light, knowledge,
and truth.

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