307 - SEATED BRONZE GANESHA INDIA 16TH CENTURY

SEATED BRONZE GANESHA INDIA 16TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 6,3 cm Wide 6,3 cm Depth 3 cm Weight: 132 grams A compact bronze image of Ganesha seated in lalitasana upon a stepped throne within an open architectural frame. The elephant-headed deity is represented with four arms and a prominent belly, his trunk curving across the body. Foliate ornament around the shrine and surviving details of the throne create a surprisingly rich setting for a sculpture of such small dimensions. The surface preserves extensive evidence of ritual use, including red and blue pigment, encrustations and devotional deposits over a deep brown patina. Such accumulations are important visual testimony to the active life of portable Hindu bronzes within shrines. Ganesha is invoked as remover of obstacles and patron of learning and prosperity. Here the shrine-like framing strengthens the sense of sacred presence, transforming a miniature bronze into a self-contained devotional image.