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Lot 83

GANESHA

Estimated Value:

3.000 € - 5.000 €

Schätzpreis:

6.000 €

Description:

Outer Mongolia, 19th c.
29 x 24,6 (58,3 x 35,5) cm
Ganesha is a Hindu deity, with very complex meanings. He is considered a god of luck and equally a god of wealth. He is also worshipped or subjugated in Tantric Buddhism (Mahakala). On this Mongolian worship picture he is almost glorified, and placed in front of an expansive gloriole, with bizarre landscape as background. His red-colored body appears massive, and bears an elephant's head with oversized ears. On his forehead he wears a golden tiara with a white crescent moon and jewel clusters. He has only one tusk left, the other having been lost to him in a fight. Ganesha has two arms, with the left hand he holds a vajra sling for binding enemies, and in the other a pointed vajra hook with which he can dissolve all kinds of bindings. Under his right arm he holds a golden treasure vase, which also promises prosperity. He stands, like all wrathful deities in tantric Buddhism, on a sun disk above a blossomed lotus. Below this is a red, semicircular disk of his mandala. Highly prominent is his ejaculating penis, with which he wants to impress his partner - a rat. She is also in a sexually aroused state and shows her plump breast, and a bleeding vulva. The rat is considered a symbol of intelligence and strength to overcome obstacles, overcoming selfish inclinations. With its left hand it holds out to Ganesha a skull bowl filled with nectar or else its favorite food - Indian sweets which also represent Ganesha's love and weakness for food, and symbolize the reward of spiritual search for meaning. In the lower part of the landscape is a cow suckling her calf, and squeezing out of her posterior sphincter a mani stone (wishing gem). Opposite are a white mongoose and a white mouse (?) also choking out mani stones. Wishing trees and numerous symbols of wealth and Taoist luck are scattered throughout the landscape. It is probably not difficult to imagine what wishes the client had in mind when choosing the subject. Tempera and gold on cotton fabric, original brocade border with silk embroidery, inscription to reverse.
Old South German private collection, collected before 2007
Traces of age