Black basalt Ganesha stele

11th century, Pala dynasty, Northeast India

Height: 50cm 19.69 inches, Width: 24cm, 9.45 inches

The four-armed robust Ganesha has a gracious expression and sits in latitasana on a semi-circular double pedestal throne. His right leg is pendant and placed on a small lotus rest. He is adorned with bracelets, armlets, anklets and wears a bejewelled crown. He holds attributes in each of his hands clockwise from the bottom left aksamala, mulaka, parasu and modaka which the god is taking with his trunk. On the top of the prabhavali is a ferocious beast, flanked by flying Vidyadharas. In the lower section vahana the rat sits on a double-lotus platform to the left, with a devotee on the right side by a lotus scroll. The plain backslab has a decorated border.

Similar Examples

‘Sculptures in Bangladesh-An inventory of Select Hindu, Buddhist and Jain Stone and Bronze Images in Museum and Collections of Bangladesh (up to the 13th Century)’, ed. E. Haque & A. Gail, The International Centre for Study of Bengal Art 2008, pl.431,pl433.p.516 and pl.444 , p.519