Page 90 - Maitri CollectionAsian Art Bonhams

“We bow before that Gaṇesha before whom, when dancing,
even the mountains seem to bow, for they are made to stoop...”

(The 11th-century Kathasaritsagar by Somadeva Bhatta, bk.9, ch.51, v.1, translated by
Charles H. Tawney)

3228 W
A BLACKSTONE STELE OF DANCING GANESHA
NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, CIRCA 10TH CENTURY
23 in. (58.4 cm) high

$80,000 - 120,000

The sculptor has afforded Ganesha an immediate and arresting gaze that captures and
holds the viewers’ attention in his empathetic eyes, face, tall chignon, and beautiful trunk.
Conveyed with a regal countenance, he seems to be locked in the rhythm of his celestial
dance, in the brief silence before the next beat of the drum or clash of the symbol – so
transfixing is the darshan he offers.

The overall image is finished with a fine polish, giving the stele a beautiful sheen
and maximizing the contrast created by incised crisp details. Ganesh appears in his
most popular eight-armed dancing form, with his top left arm struck outwards for
counterbalance as he shifts the weight about his hips. His sweet bowl consists of one
large single whipped offering.

The sculptor has taken great efforts to portray Ganesha’s two most prominent features:
his elephant head and his great potbelly sagging under its own weight. Ganesha’s
endearing stomach indicates prosperity, and on a metaphysical level, it is a symbol of
his ability to digest all experiences and conquer all desires. One humorous myth explains
how he came to become Lambodara, ‘the pot-bellied’.

“To show off his wealth, Kubera once invited Shiva and Parvati to a banquet. They
suggested that he feed [their son] Ganesha instead. Kubera laughed and scornfully
declared that he could feed many children like their son. At this, Ganesha fell upon the
food, devouring everything, till there was none left for the other guests. He then started
eating the floral decorations and soon moved on to the furniture. Ganesha’s belly became
enormous, but he was still hungry. At Kubera’s most urgent request for help, Shiva gave
him a handful of roasted rice and told him to serve it to Ganesha with humility. Kubera did
so and Ganesha’s hunger was immediately satisfied.”

As Grewal inteprets, “this story implies that the material world, represented by Kubera’s
feast, cannot bring satisfaction. Only the consuming of unfulfilled desires, symbolized by
the roasted rice which cannot germinate, bestows fulfillment.” (Grewal, Book of Ganesha,
New Delhi, 2009, pp.113-4.)

A later but closely related example from Bengal, attributed to the 11th century because
of the profuse ornamentation carved into the backplate, is published in Lal Nagar, The
Cult of Vinayaka, New Delhi, 1992, pl.44. The relatively sparse backplate of the present
lot is an indicator of a 9th/10th century date. The present lot also compares favorably to
another related example, formerly of the Heeramaneck collection, sold at Christie’s, New
York, 19 March 2013, lot 262.

Provenance
Private New York Collector
Christie’s, New York, 21 March 2001, lot 16
Private Manhattan Collection
Christie’s, New York, 16 September 2008, lot 373

88 | BONHAMS