Annotated Ganesha Art

This Seated Ganesha, a Hindu deity known for having an elephant head, was created between 1200 - 1300 in Karnataka state of India. The medium is Schist, a type of hard rock that consists of layers of varied minerals. It is identified as a sculpture of Hoysala style. The dimensions of the Seated Ganesha is H. 37 in x W. 24 in x D. 12 1/2 in, H, which falls in the medium size range of statues in the similar genre 1. The name Ganesha bear the meaning of lord of the Ganas who are different kinds of demi-gods that had been worshipped since ancient times and have become attendants of Shiva’s 2. This statue of Seated Ganesha caught my eyes right a way among other statues because of its nice presentation, the breathtaking details and techniques on the ornaments, the interesting look of an elephant head on a human body, and the chubby, joyful look on a deity all make him an unforgettable Hindu god of the audience’s mind.

Stunning ornament details were given to this divine statue. The head of Ganesha is decorated with large amount of jewelries, and he is also wearing necklace, bracelets, body chains and anklets that are made of strings of beans. Despite the enormous efforts put in the ornaments, the artist also put close attention on the details of the religious figure’s body parts such as the wrinkled skin on his ears. His jolly appearance and detailed features of the real elephant perhaps explains his popularity as a deity in Hindu. And his popularity is shown through the enormous jewelries and sweets given to him by the Indians to show their love towards this lovely