Ganesha: Lord of New Beginnings at The Met Fifth Avenue

 

Seated Ganesha
16th century
India, Odisha
Ivory
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Klejman, 1964
64.102
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 
 
 

Ganesha

Lord of New Beginnings

November 19, 2022 — June 16, 2024

 
 

Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, is a Brahmanical (Hindu) diety known to clear a path to the gods and remove obstacles in everyday life. He is loved by his devotees (bhakti) for his many traits, including his insatiable appetite for sweet cakes and his role as a dispenser of magic, surprise, and laughter. However, Ganesha is also the lord of ganas (nature deities) and can take on a fearsome aspect in this guise.

The seventh- to twenty-first-century works in this exhibition trace his depiction across the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia. Featuring 24 works across sculptures, paintings, musical instruments, ritual implements, and photography, the exhibition emphasizes the vitality and exuberance of Ganesha as the bringer of new beginnings.

Rotation 1: November 19, 2022 – June 11, 2023
Rotation 2: June 17, 2023 – June 16, 2024

The exhibition is made possible by the Florence and Herbert Irving Fund for Asian Art Exhibitions.

 
 
 
 

Exhibition Highlights

 

Bell Handle with Seated Ganesha
Eastern Javanese period
ca. 13th century
Indonesia, Java
Bronze
Samuel Eilenberg Collection, Gift of Samuel Eilenberg, 1987
1987.142.244
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dancing Ganesha
Kalacuri dynasty
ca. 10th century
India, Madhya Pradesh
Red sandstone
Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2007
2007.480.2
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Seated Ganesha
Sukhothai or Lan Na style
ca. 15th century
Thailand
Bronze
Gift of Steven Kossak, The Kronos Collections, in honor of Helen Cook, 1983
1983.512
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Standing Ganesha
16th–17th century
Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
Wood with traces of polychrome
Seymour Fund, 1961
61.39
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Seated Ganesha
Mid-9th century
India, Kashmir
Stone
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Uzi Zucker, 1977
1977.444.5
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Standing Ganesha
Pre-Angkor period
Second half 7th century
Cambodia
Stone
Rogers, Louis V. Bell and Fletcher Funds, 1982
1982.220.7
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Seated Four-Armed Ganesha
Central Javanese period
9th century
Indonesia, Java
Bronze
Samuel Eilenberg Collection, Gift of Samuel Eilenberg, 1987
1987.142.300
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ganesha
Chola period
12th century
India, Tamil Nadu
Copper alloy
Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015
2015.500.4.12
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ganesha Seated on a Lion Throne
ca. 10th century
India
Schist
Gift of William and Bette-Ann Spielman, 1985
1985.402
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art