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Marcel Nies

18. Ganesha
Cambodia, Bayon
13th century
Sandstone
height 61 cm.
Ganesha
Detail: alternate view
Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, is the son of the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati. Revered as the remover of obstacles and the embodiment of wisdom, this popular benevolent god is propitiated at the beginning of every undertaking. Here, Ganesha is portrayed with two arms, seated on a rectangular throne. The short pleated sampot he wears and the splendid belt with carefully arranged panels of cloth are typical features of the Bayon style. A naga twines diagonally across his body and his forehead is marked with an urna, the sign of illumination. His ornate jewellery consists of a diadem with a cone-shaped crown of hair, a necklace, bracelets and anklets. In his right hand is a sweet modaka.

Jayavarman VIII, who ruled the Khmer empire in the second half of the thirteenth century, was a devout Shivaite and opposed the Buddhism Jayavarman VII had practiced. Many of the Bayon style Hindu images were produced in his reign. The present Ganesha is among the most expressive examples known in the West. With its striking tension, impressive volume and focused shape the sculpture is a wonderful example of the Khmer art produced in the region of Bayon Thom in the 13th century.

Provenance: Private collection, Belgium.

Art Loss Register Certificate, Reference S00027708.

H. Ibbitson and Th. Zéphir, Sculpture of Angkor and Ancient Cambodia, Millennium of Glory, Grand Palais, Paris, 1997, p.326-327, no. 109.
E.C. Bunker and D. Latchford, Adoration and Glory. The Golden Age of Khmer Art, Chicago, 2004, no.110 a,b.
P. Baptiste and Th. Zéphir, L’Art Khmer dans les Collections du Musée Guimet, Paris, 2008, p.315, no.96.
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