A RARE SANDSTONE STELE OF GANESHA
India, 11th – 13th century. Dancing with one leg raised and his four arms radiating around his body, dressed in a festooned belt and adorned with various jewelry and a naga wrapped across his belly, the face surmounted by a beaded headdress.

Provenance: From a German private collection. By repute acquired from Nagel auctions. Older collector label to backside.
Condition: Extensive weathering, abrasions and wear. Some losses as seen on pictures. Two natural fissures in the stone with old filling. Given the high age of this statue, the condition must still be regarded as very good.

Weight: 15.7 kilograms
Dimensions: Height 47 cm

This remarkable Ganesha has only four arms rather than his usual six or eight. Visually, these fewer arms significantly enhance the dynamism of his rhythmic dance. Known as the Remover of Obstacles and worshipped for auspicious beginnings, Ganesha is a beloved Hindu deity. Regardless of his elephant head, multiple arms, jewelry, and plump figure, his character is clever and his body remarkably agile, as demonstrated by his dancing steps in the present example. Like the other Hindu gods, Ganesha manifests a variety of appearances, always recognizable by his elephant head.