The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Dancing Ganesha

Dancing Ganesha

c. 1000
sandstone
Overall: 61.3 cm (24 1/8 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1961.93
Location: 244 Indian and Southeast Asian

Did You Know?

Ganesha's mount is the rat, which evokes full granaries and the prosperity and abundance that they imply.

Description

The name Ganesha means "lord (isha) of the demonic dwarfs (gana)," part of Shiva's entourage. They dance and imitate Shiva in humorous ways that inspire his followers' affection. In this sculpture Ganesha's dance mimics the dance of Shiva. Ganesha has six arms instead of four, and he holds a bowl of sweet cakes and a radish instead of a tongue of flame.
  • ?–1961
    (Khalil Rabenou [1902–1961], New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1961–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Lee, Sherman E. “Year in Review 1961.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 48, no. 9 (1961): 219–251. Mentioned: p. 249, no. 37; Reproduced: p. 234, no. 37 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 234 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 234 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 302 archive.org
    Connell, Timothy C., and Jackson J. Spielvogel. World Art Transparencies. Cincinnati: West Educational Pub, 1998. Reproduced: Acetate 20
  • Dance of the Gods: Indian Art Inspired by Music. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 24-December 8, 1996).
    Traditions and Revisions: Themes from the History of Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 24-November 16, 1975).
    Year in Review (1961). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 1-26, 1961).
  • {{cite web|title=Dancing Ganesha|url=false|author=|year=c. 1000|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1961.93