Page 86 - Maitri CollectionAsian Art Bonhams

“May Ganesha, who at night seems with the spray blown forth
from his hissing trunk uplifted in the tumultuous dance,
to be feeding the stars, dispel your darkness!”

(The 11th-century Kathasaritsagar by Somadeva Bhatta, bk.15, ch.109, v.1, translated
by Charles H. Tawney)

3226
A BLACKSTONE STELE OF DANCING GANESHA
NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, CIRCA 11TH CENTURY
19 5/8 in. (50 cm) high

$80,000 - 120,000

This exquisite example depicts of one the most beloved subjects in Hindu sculpture, and
perfectly reflects Grewal’s adroit summary of a Dancing Ganesha’s ubiquitous appeal:

“Despite his considerable bulk, images of the dancing Ganesha are saturated with
rhythm, movement and a vigorous grace. One foot is placed before the other, with
the leg bent at the knee, thrusting the weight of his body forward to create a sense of
movement. The head, the torso and the lower body are often ingeniously inclined in
different directions to simulate the postures of dance. In the background, there are usually
musicians, especially drummers who pound out the accompanying rhythm.”
(Grewal, Book of Ganesha, Delhi, 2009, pp.130-1.)

The sculpture particularly excels for its lithe modeling of the deity, whose paunch is nicely
rounded without sagging. Meanwhile, his limbs appear athletic and nimbly poised, albeit
shortened, as if the sculptor felt compelled to reconcile the textual prescriptions calling
for a dwarfish god with a handsome visage. His regalia and attributes are also crisply
defined, such as the tassels that dangle over his ears in high relief, the lotus roundel
neatly within the palm of his hand in abhaya mudra, and the jewel at the center of his
trunk which reaches over to pluck the topmost of a bowl of sweets. This joyful activity
occurs below a pair of celestial garland bearers and a nice array of radishes.

Published
Souren Melikian, “A Giant Among Fairs Spreads Its Reach”, in International Herald
Tribune, Weekend Art Fairs, 16-17 March 2013, p.16.

Provenance
Collection of W. van Hoogstraten Fetlaar, the Netherlands, 1983-2011
Marcel Nies Oriental Art, Antwerp
Acquired from the above at TEFAF Maastricht, March 2011

84 | BONHAMS