Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ganesha

Indonesia (Java)

Date

10th–11th century

Medium

Volcanic stone (andesite)

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu god, sits erect on a base shaped as a double lotus. Pot bellied and with his chubby feet pressed together, he eats sweetmeats from a bowl in his lower left hand. Considered to be the destroyer of obstacles, Ganesha is invoked at the launch of any enterprise, from weddings to the opening of a new business. He is believed to remove distractions and protect one from evil. Although this sculpture was created within a Hindu-Buddhist context on the island of Java, Ganesha’s universal charm abounds. Today, his image remains on the currency of Indonesia, home to the largest Muslim population in the world. Asia

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