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Part of: College Writing for International Students (40 resources )
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College Writing for International Students

Copyright
All Rights Reserved
Created by
Scott W Beal
Last Updated
May 25, 2022 4:34 p.m.

40 Items in this Learning Collection
Dvarapala (temple guardian; pair with 1980/2.291)
The two-armed figure dances with his right leg raised and wrapped around a club. His left arm crosses his body and rests above the club and his right hand is raised almost to his ear. Tassels hang from him hips and under his armpits adding a great sense of movement to the whole figure. Multi-hooded snakes are at the base and also around the bottom of the club. He wears much of jewelry including bracelets, anklets, necklaces with should loops and an elaborate belt. His stomach protrudes over the belt. He also has large earrings and a jewel encrusted crown. His eyes bulge out and his mouth is open showing his teeth. He is a pair with 1980/2.291.<br />
Collection Object
Dvarapala (temple guardian; pair with 1980/2.290)
The two-armed figure dances with his left leg raised and wrapped around a club. His left arm is extended down his body and holds onto the club and his right hand is raised almost to his ear. He wears much of jewelry including bracelets, anklets, necklaces with should loops and an elaborate belt almost forming an apron. His stomach protrudes over the belt. He also has large earrings in the form of roaring lions and a jewel encrusted crown. His eyes bulge out and his mouth is open showing his teeth. The whole is badly weathered and not nearly as crisp as his partner, 1980/2.290.<br />
Collection Object
Ganesha, seated on a double lotus throne
Ganesha is shown here seated on a double lotus throne, in a royal posture with the soles of his feet together. He has four arms, and holds two of his attributes in the rear pair: an ax and a rosary. His trunk curls down across his rotund belly to reach for a bowl of sweets that rests in his left forward arm. The cobra slung across his shoulder, now hard to make out because of the centuries of wear of the stone, indicates Ganesha's lineage as the son of the Shiva, in his aspect as the great ascetic. Almost 27 inches high, this sculpture of the Hindu god Ganesha is carved of andesite, a volcanic stone common to the island of Java in Indonesia. Andesite is a soft stone and erodes easily, which is why the carving is no longer crisp.
Collection Object
Landscape in the Style of Huang Gongwang

Collection Object
Cold Light and Snowy Mountains
Purple cloth background with a scene of a mountain. The top of the mountain is on the right side.
Collection Object
Red Trees, Blue Mountains
Landscape colored with the bright hues of autumn. Pavilions are nestled among clouds and mountain forests. A rustic staircase appears between wisps of clouds and trees, winding up the slope next to waterfalls.
Collection Object
In the Spirit of Li Bai's Poetry
Green mountains create the edge of a river. Red flowers grow on the hill framing the scene in the right corner, and two boats sail the waters below. In the upper center of the painting is calligraphic text.
Collection Object
Cross-Island Highway Based on Sketches
Painted and inscribed on the occasion of Veterans’ Day. The artist depicts a view of the narrow, winding roadway cutting through a magnificent rocky mountain. <br />In his inscription, Chang claims to use methods of Song masters that were adopted in painting the scene. A small detail on the lower right of the painting represents a couple of tiny figures standing aside the road. One figure is depicted as making life-sketches of the scene.
Collection Object
Geese and Reeds (two of a pair)
A grounded and a flying goose is paired in both paintings, creating a contrast of stillness and movement. A goose swoops into the scene from the top left, while the neck of the grounded goose follows a graceful curve to look at the approaching bird. The swaying reeds and grass around the grounded goose add lightness to the composition. Between the two geese are three lines of calligraphy.<br /> <br /> These two hanging scroll paintings depict geese and reeds. Based on the style, the use of silk and the mounting method, it is assumed that the two works are part of the same set. Plate 278-1 (2009/1.488.1) depicts three geese including one with its head plunged into the water, while Plate 278-2 (2009/1.488.2) depicts two. Both works depict reeds on the right part of the painting. Yang&rsquo;s signature in &ldquo;boneless&rdquo; stroke style, effective in portraying light and shade, is striking. Yang Gihun (楊基薰, 1843&ndash;?), who painted these works, was active mainly in Pyeongyang which is currently located i
Collection Object
Geese and Reeds (one of a pair)
A grounded and a flying goose is paired in both paintings, creating a contrast of stillness and movement. The goose is the water has its head turned to watch the descent of the goose flying in from the right. The upper left corner contains calligraphic text, and creating ripples in the water in the foreground is a goose with its head below the surface, and bottom in the air. Reeds come in from the right.<br /> <br /> These two hanging scroll paintings depict geese and reeds. Based on the style, the use of silk and the mounting method, it is assumed that the two works are part of the same set. Plate 278-1 (2009/1.488.1) depicts three geese including one with its head plunged into the water, while Plate 278-2 (2009/1.488.2) depicts two. Both works depict reeds on the right part of the painting. Yang&rsquo;s signature in &ldquo;boneless&rdquo; stroke style, effective in portraying light and shade, is striking. Yang Gihun (楊基薰, 1843&ndash;?), who painted these works, was active mainly in Pyeongyang which is cur
Collection Object
Kris handle in the shape of an ogre

Collection Object
Vanitas (Still Life), with globe, skull, candle, tazza, and covered cup
This remarkable still life depicts a table crowded with, among other things, a gilded covered goblet, a wide saucer-shaped silver tazza, a celestial globe painted with images of the constellations, a skull wearing a laurel wreath, and an extinguished candle, all rendered in exquisite detail with careful attention paid to the effects of light and texture. While the arrangement of objects may appear casual, the composition is artfully balanced along two diagonal axes centered on the two cups that lie crossed on the table. The repetition of ovoid shapes throughout the painting and the monochrome tonality with its restricted range of hues and values, a hallmark of Heda's style, assures the seamless integration of the sundry objects into a unified whole.<br />
Collection Object
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
This painting depicts the interior of a room where four men are grouped around a table. They are painted as half-length figures, and their forms fill the foreground. They are painted in warm tones of brown, red and green and dressed in 16th century Netherlandish clothing. There is a king, wearing a pointed crown, who, with his right arm awkwardly crossed over his left, points to another man across the table. He has a furrowed brow and his mouth is partially open as if he is speaking. Next to him is a man looking downward, intently counting coins piled on the table. The third man pauses while writing in a book, his hand with the pen is stopped in mid-air, and looks back at the king. The fourth man, on the other side of the table, has his hands clasped in a pleading gesture and his eyes meet the gaze of the king. Items in the room and on the table such as books, scissors, a money bag, and an hourglass, are painted in great detail. In the upper right, a small outdoor scene, painted in tones of light green, shows
Collection Object
Judith with the Head of Holofernes
The half-length figure of a woman looks directly out of the painting and holds the bearded head of a man on a platter in her hands. She wears a fine robe with large white sleeves and collar, a soft hat with a small white feather, and a bejeweled pin on her left shoulder. The face of an older woman with deeply wrinkled skin appears in the shadows behind her.
Collection Object
Eve Tempted by the Serpent
A nude woman with long hair flowing down her back grasps a tree branch with her right hand and bends it downward in order to more easily pluck the green fruit dangling at its tip with her left hand. Her white body contrasts starkly with the darker tones of the surrounding landscape. The less conspicuous figure of a serpent with the head of a bearded man coils about the trunk of the tree next to the woman and fixes her with his stare.
Collection Object
Last Supper
A photograph of eight boys, all of which are the same person, voraciously eating a loaf of white bread off a rock in a forest.
Collection Object
Ah Puch
Bust of a figure from the chest up in three-quarters pose. The head, or perhaps a mask, is white, resembling a skull with a halo of white hair. The neck is dark brown with two white bands like chokers around it, perhaps securing the mask. The figure wears a dark red garment that is trimmed in ornate lace in white and gold. The background is a deep teal green-blue.
Collection Object
Heavenly Officials with Son and Auspicious Offerings (Diptych)
Left panel of a diptych on a cardboard backing. A bearded figure is dressed in an elaborate robe with crane motifs and is holding a vase with long flowers. He stands against a green-blue background, which is covered in a lattice of white clouds. A smaller, childlike figure stands next to him and is holding a teapot with a speech bubble above it. They are facing right.
Collection Object
White Territory
This abstract painting is primarily white with a large squarish area of dark green in the top left quadrant. Loose brushwork varies from wide, full strokes to the short, rapid strokes at the compositions center. Pigment application ranges from a very thin wash to heavy impasto.
Collection Object
Composition
This painting has a series of flat, colorful, overlapping geometric and biomorphic abstract forms in greens, yellows, purple, reds, black, grey, and white. The painting is signed in black (l.l.) "herbin".
Collection Object
The Break-up of the Ice (La Débâcle or Les Glaçons)
A sweeping winter river scene opens up from the foreground and sweeps away towards the left. Ice floes dot the river surface and snowy hills frame trees that stand along the riverbank in the middle distance. The palette of this painting is restricted to mauves, blues, greens, and whites.
Collection Object
Sea and Rain
The painting depicts a solitary male figure standing along the shore. The thin layers of paint evoke a misty, overcast day with the figure standing perhaps on a tidal flat.
Collection Object
The Bullfight (Courses de taureaux)
A bull in the center charges to the left toward a horse rearing up with a bullfighter on its back. The bullfighter leans forward to plunge a spear into the bull's shoulder area. Flags and spectator stands lie in the background.
Collection Object
Espace-temps en fusion
Winding through the center of this print, a melting clock oozes from the top right to the bottom center in red, yellow and blue. To the left of the base of the clock is a bright orange and red bolder. In the background, there is a large landscape with mountains and a cloudy sky. There are three figures in the scene. At the bottom right, a figure is seated with a staff and behind it is a large shape in yellow, red and blue. At the center, there is a sketch of a mounted figure on a rearing horse; and at the upper right, there is a figure with a strong shadow. The print is signed (l.r.) and numbered (l.l.) in pencil. 
Collection Object
"Untitled" (March 5th) #2
Two forty-watt light bulbs in simple porcelain light sockets hang together by their extension cords from a nail on the wall.
Collection Object
Standing Figure
An elongated female nude figure with minimal features stands on a small rectangular base with left foot slightly forward. The metal has a texture resembling molten wax.
Collection Object
Tintern Abbey
A large, Gothic ruin dominates the scene. The west portal of a large church stands with full light, from the left, illuminating its portal. Along its second story ivy grows across the facade while trees cluster in the L-shaped angle toward the right and other vegetation is evident along the roofline of the structure. Several women enter through the main doorway of the building. A stone wall encircles the structure and two houses occupy the land immediately to the left of the church ruin. In the foreground a lane leads past the church with a man leading a black horse and a running hound in the right foreground, and a figure with its back to the viewer is visible at the left foreground. Behind the scene, dark, wind-swept clouds indicate a recent storm that has now passed, allowing golden light to suffuse the landscape.
Collection Object
After Manet
This image is a circular format black and white photograph depicting four young African American girls wearing floral dresses lounging on a blanket in the grass. Three girls sit or prop themselves up and look at the camera, the fourth girl lays down, with her eyes closed. The glass in the frame has a domed surface, creating a fish-eye effect.
Collection Object
Chasing a Slaver
Ship chasing another ship. Shore on the right hand side of the painting.
Collection Object
Simpsonville

Collection Object
Mother©
This is a line drawing on white paper a ladder in the center, with the word "Mother" below it followed by the copyright symbol.
Collection Object
Joseph the Carpenter
This print shows a shipyard, with three laborers working on the hull of a large boat under a dark sky.
Collection Object
Love is What You Want
This sculpture is a pink neon light in the shape of a heart with the words &quot;Love is What You Want&quot; inscribed within the heart.
Collection Object
Rocky Mountains
This loosely sketched landscape shows a large white mountain with blue sky beyond. Some details and highlights are created in yellows, reds and blacks.  
Collection Object
Mt. Williamson, Sierra Nevada, from Manzanar, California
This photograph depicts a flat, boulder-strewn valley leading up to a range of cloud-swept mountains in the distance. 
Collection Object
Paris #206
Photo of a woman in a floor-length and brightly striped formal gown standing in a multi-level staircase. The photo is taken from above and captures the woman, her companion, and the ornate handrail and stair runner.
Collection Object
David Chun - Chinese Shrimp Camp
;
Resource with 3 media
Seven Kiowah Men

Collection Object
Untitled (No. XXIII)

Collection Object
Untitled (Swan Painting)
Abstract painting of a white swan on a pink and green background.
Collection Object

40 Items in this Learning Collection
Dvarapala (temple guardian; pair with 1980/2.291)
The two-armed figure dances with his right leg raised and wrapped around a club. His left arm crosses his body and rests above the club and his right hand is raised almost to his ear. Tassels hang from him hips and under his armpits adding a great sense of movement to the whole figure. Multi-hooded snakes are at the base and also around the bottom of the club. He wears much of jewelry including bracelets, anklets, necklaces with should loops and an elaborate belt. His stomach protrudes over the belt. He also has large earrings and a jewel encrusted crown. His eyes bulge out and his mouth is open showing his teeth. He is a pair with 1980/2.291.<br />
Collection Object
Dvarapala (temple guardian; pair with 1980/2.290)
The two-armed figure dances with his left leg raised and wrapped around a club. His left arm is extended down his body and holds onto the club and his right hand is raised almost to his ear. He wears much of jewelry including bracelets, anklets, necklaces with should loops and an elaborate belt almost forming an apron. His stomach protrudes over the belt. He also has large earrings in the form of roaring lions and a jewel encrusted crown. His eyes bulge out and his mouth is open showing his teeth. The whole is badly weathered and not nearly as crisp as his partner, 1980/2.290.<br />
Collection Object
Ganesha, seated on a double lotus throne
Ganesha is shown here seated on a double lotus throne, in a royal posture with the soles of his feet together. He has four arms, and holds two of his attributes in the rear pair: an ax and a rosary. His trunk curls down across his rotund belly to reach for a bowl of sweets that rests in his left forward arm. The cobra slung across his shoulder, now hard to make out because of the centuries of wear of the stone, indicates Ganesha's lineage as the son of the Shiva, in his aspect as the great ascetic. Almost 27 inches high, this sculpture of the Hindu god Ganesha is carved of andesite, a volcanic stone common to the island of Java in Indonesia. Andesite is a soft stone and erodes easily, which is why the carving is no longer crisp.
Collection Object
Landscape in the Style of Huang Gongwang

Collection Object
Cold Light and Snowy Mountains
Purple cloth background with a scene of a mountain. The top of the mountain is on the right side.
Collection Object
Red Trees, Blue Mountains
Landscape colored with the bright hues of autumn. Pavilions are nestled among clouds and mountain forests. A rustic staircase appears between wisps of clouds and trees, winding up the slope next to waterfalls.
Collection Object
In the Spirit of Li Bai's Poetry
Green mountains create the edge of a river. Red flowers grow on the hill framing the scene in the right corner, and two boats sail the waters below. In the upper center of the painting is calligraphic text.
Collection Object
Cross-Island Highway Based on Sketches
Painted and inscribed on the occasion of Veterans’ Day. The artist depicts a view of the narrow, winding roadway cutting through a magnificent rocky mountain. <br />In his inscription, Chang claims to use methods of Song masters that were adopted in painting the scene. A small detail on the lower right of the painting represents a couple of tiny figures standing aside the road. One figure is depicted as making life-sketches of the scene.
Collection Object
Geese and Reeds (two of a pair)
A grounded and a flying goose is paired in both paintings, creating a contrast of stillness and movement. A goose swoops into the scene from the top left, while the neck of the grounded goose follows a graceful curve to look at the approaching bird. The swaying reeds and grass around the grounded goose add lightness to the composition. Between the two geese are three lines of calligraphy.<br /> <br /> These two hanging scroll paintings depict geese and reeds. Based on the style, the use of silk and the mounting method, it is assumed that the two works are part of the same set. Plate 278-1 (2009/1.488.1) depicts three geese including one with its head plunged into the water, while Plate 278-2 (2009/1.488.2) depicts two. Both works depict reeds on the right part of the painting. Yang&rsquo;s signature in &ldquo;boneless&rdquo; stroke style, effective in portraying light and shade, is striking. Yang Gihun (楊基薰, 1843&ndash;?), who painted these works, was active mainly in Pyeongyang which is currently located i
Collection Object
Geese and Reeds (one of a pair)
A grounded and a flying goose is paired in both paintings, creating a contrast of stillness and movement. The goose is the water has its head turned to watch the descent of the goose flying in from the right. The upper left corner contains calligraphic text, and creating ripples in the water in the foreground is a goose with its head below the surface, and bottom in the air. Reeds come in from the right.<br /> <br /> These two hanging scroll paintings depict geese and reeds. Based on the style, the use of silk and the mounting method, it is assumed that the two works are part of the same set. Plate 278-1 (2009/1.488.1) depicts three geese including one with its head plunged into the water, while Plate 278-2 (2009/1.488.2) depicts two. Both works depict reeds on the right part of the painting. Yang&rsquo;s signature in &ldquo;boneless&rdquo; stroke style, effective in portraying light and shade, is striking. Yang Gihun (楊基薰, 1843&ndash;?), who painted these works, was active mainly in Pyeongyang which is cur
Collection Object
Kris handle in the shape of an ogre

Collection Object
Vanitas (Still Life), with globe, skull, candle, tazza, and covered cup
This remarkable still life depicts a table crowded with, among other things, a gilded covered goblet, a wide saucer-shaped silver tazza, a celestial globe painted with images of the constellations, a skull wearing a laurel wreath, and an extinguished candle, all rendered in exquisite detail with careful attention paid to the effects of light and texture. While the arrangement of objects may appear casual, the composition is artfully balanced along two diagonal axes centered on the two cups that lie crossed on the table. The repetition of ovoid shapes throughout the painting and the monochrome tonality with its restricted range of hues and values, a hallmark of Heda's style, assures the seamless integration of the sundry objects into a unified whole.<br />
Collection Object
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
This painting depicts the interior of a room where four men are grouped around a table. They are painted as half-length figures, and their forms fill the foreground. They are painted in warm tones of brown, red and green and dressed in 16th century Netherlandish clothing. There is a king, wearing a pointed crown, who, with his right arm awkwardly crossed over his left, points to another man across the table. He has a furrowed brow and his mouth is partially open as if he is speaking. Next to him is a man looking downward, intently counting coins piled on the table. The third man pauses while writing in a book, his hand with the pen is stopped in mid-air, and looks back at the king. The fourth man, on the other side of the table, has his hands clasped in a pleading gesture and his eyes meet the gaze of the king. Items in the room and on the table such as books, scissors, a money bag, and an hourglass, are painted in great detail. In the upper right, a small outdoor scene, painted in tones of light green, shows
Collection Object
Judith with the Head of Holofernes
The half-length figure of a woman looks directly out of the painting and holds the bearded head of a man on a platter in her hands. She wears a fine robe with large white sleeves and collar, a soft hat with a small white feather, and a bejeweled pin on her left shoulder. The face of an older woman with deeply wrinkled skin appears in the shadows behind her.
Collection Object
Eve Tempted by the Serpent
A nude woman with long hair flowing down her back grasps a tree branch with her right hand and bends it downward in order to more easily pluck the green fruit dangling at its tip with her left hand. Her white body contrasts starkly with the darker tones of the surrounding landscape. The less conspicuous figure of a serpent with the head of a bearded man coils about the trunk of the tree next to the woman and fixes her with his stare.
Collection Object
Last Supper
A photograph of eight boys, all of which are the same person, voraciously eating a loaf of white bread off a rock in a forest.
Collection Object
Ah Puch
Bust of a figure from the chest up in three-quarters pose. The head, or perhaps a mask, is white, resembling a skull with a halo of white hair. The neck is dark brown with two white bands like chokers around it, perhaps securing the mask. The figure wears a dark red garment that is trimmed in ornate lace in white and gold. The background is a deep teal green-blue.
Collection Object
Heavenly Officials with Son and Auspicious Offerings (Diptych)
Left panel of a diptych on a cardboard backing. A bearded figure is dressed in an elaborate robe with crane motifs and is holding a vase with long flowers. He stands against a green-blue background, which is covered in a lattice of white clouds. A smaller, childlike figure stands next to him and is holding a teapot with a speech bubble above it. They are facing right.
Collection Object
White Territory
This abstract painting is primarily white with a large squarish area of dark green in the top left quadrant. Loose brushwork varies from wide, full strokes to the short, rapid strokes at the compositions center. Pigment application ranges from a very thin wash to heavy impasto.
Collection Object
Composition
This painting has a series of flat, colorful, overlapping geometric and biomorphic abstract forms in greens, yellows, purple, reds, black, grey, and white. The painting is signed in black (l.l.) "herbin".
Collection Object
The Break-up of the Ice (La Débâcle or Les Glaçons)
A sweeping winter river scene opens up from the foreground and sweeps away towards the left. Ice floes dot the river surface and snowy hills frame trees that stand along the riverbank in the middle distance. The palette of this painting is restricted to mauves, blues, greens, and whites.
Collection Object
Sea and Rain
The painting depicts a solitary male figure standing along the shore. The thin layers of paint evoke a misty, overcast day with the figure standing perhaps on a tidal flat.
Collection Object
The Bullfight (Courses de taureaux)
A bull in the center charges to the left toward a horse rearing up with a bullfighter on its back. The bullfighter leans forward to plunge a spear into the bull's shoulder area. Flags and spectator stands lie in the background.
Collection Object
Espace-temps en fusion
Winding through the center of this print, a melting clock oozes from the top right to the bottom center in red, yellow and blue. To the left of the base of the clock is a bright orange and red bolder. In the background, there is a large landscape with mountains and a cloudy sky. There are three figures in the scene. At the bottom right, a figure is seated with a staff and behind it is a large shape in yellow, red and blue. At the center, there is a sketch of a mounted figure on a rearing horse; and at the upper right, there is a figure with a strong shadow. The print is signed (l.r.) and numbered (l.l.) in pencil. 
Collection Object
"Untitled" (March 5th) #2
Two forty-watt light bulbs in simple porcelain light sockets hang together by their extension cords from a nail on the wall.
Collection Object
Standing Figure
An elongated female nude figure with minimal features stands on a small rectangular base with left foot slightly forward. The metal has a texture resembling molten wax.
Collection Object
Tintern Abbey
A large, Gothic ruin dominates the scene. The west portal of a large church stands with full light, from the left, illuminating its portal. Along its second story ivy grows across the facade while trees cluster in the L-shaped angle toward the right and other vegetation is evident along the roofline of the structure. Several women enter through the main doorway of the building. A stone wall encircles the structure and two houses occupy the land immediately to the left of the church ruin. In the foreground a lane leads past the church with a man leading a black horse and a running hound in the right foreground, and a figure with its back to the viewer is visible at the left foreground. Behind the scene, dark, wind-swept clouds indicate a recent storm that has now passed, allowing golden light to suffuse the landscape.
Collection Object
After Manet
This image is a circular format black and white photograph depicting four young African American girls wearing floral dresses lounging on a blanket in the grass. Three girls sit or prop themselves up and look at the camera, the fourth girl lays down, with her eyes closed. The glass in the frame has a domed surface, creating a fish-eye effect.
Collection Object
Chasing a Slaver
Ship chasing another ship. Shore on the right hand side of the painting.
Collection Object
Simpsonville

Collection Object
Mother©
This is a line drawing on white paper a ladder in the center, with the word "Mother" below it followed by the copyright symbol.
Collection Object
Joseph the Carpenter
This print shows a shipyard, with three laborers working on the hull of a large boat under a dark sky.
Collection Object
Love is What You Want
This sculpture is a pink neon light in the shape of a heart with the words &quot;Love is What You Want&quot; inscribed within the heart.
Collection Object
Rocky Mountains
This loosely sketched landscape shows a large white mountain with blue sky beyond. Some details and highlights are created in yellows, reds and blacks.  
Collection Object
Mt. Williamson, Sierra Nevada, from Manzanar, California
This photograph depicts a flat, boulder-strewn valley leading up to a range of cloud-swept mountains in the distance. 
Collection Object
Paris #206
Photo of a woman in a floor-length and brightly striped formal gown standing in a multi-level staircase. The photo is taken from above and captures the woman, her companion, and the ornate handrail and stair runner.
Collection Object
David Chun - Chinese Shrimp Camp
;
Resource with 3 media
Seven Kiowah Men

Collection Object
Untitled (No. XXIII)

Collection Object
Untitled (Swan Painting)
Abstract painting of a white swan on a pink and green background.
Collection Object

Copyright
All Rights Reserved ()

Ganesha, seated on a double lotus throne

Accession Number
1957/2.56

Title
Ganesha, seated on a double lotus throne

Artist(s)
Indonesian

Object Creation Date
11th century

Medium & Support
andesite (volcanic stone)

Dimensions
27 9/16 in x 13 3/4 in x 11 5/8 in (70.01 cm x 34.92 cm x 29.53 cm);27 9/16 in x 13 3/4 in x 11 5/8 in (70.01 cm x 34.92 cm x 29.53 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Label copy
March 28, 2009
Pot-bellied Ganesha, with his elephant head and curved trunk, is perhaps the most endearing and gentle of the Hindu gods. The elder son of Shiva and Parvati, he is famed for removing obstacles; as such, he is worshipped at the start of any new venture. Scribes, for instance, will inscribe Ganesha’s name before writing anything else, as will students beginning an exam. His presence is also invoked at the onset of religious rituals. Sculptures of the plump god are typically located near the entrance to Hindu temples so that they are among the first encountered in the act of circumambulation. Also, when sweets are prepared for a festival day, the very first portion will be set aside in his name. This stone sculpture from eastern Java suggests that the treats do not go to waste: Ganesha’s trunk drops directly into a bowl of snacks that rests in his left hand.
(Label for UMMA South and Southeast Asia Gallery Opening Rotation, March 2009)

Subject matter
Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu deity who removes obstacles.
Pot-bellied Ganesha, with his elephant head and curved trunk, is perhaps the most endearing and gentle of the Hindu gods. The elder son of Shiva and Parvati, he is famed for removing obstacles; as such, he is worshipped at the start of any new venture. Scribes, for instance, will inscribe Ganesha’s name before writing anything else, as will students beginning an exam. His presence is also invoked at the onset of religious rituals. Sculptures of the plump god are typically located near the entrance to Hindu temples so that they are among the first encountered in the act of circumambulation. Also, when sweets are prepared for a festival day, the very first portion will be set aside in his name. This stone sculpture from eastern Java suggests that the treats do not go to waste: Ganesha’s trunk drops directly into a bowl of snacks that rests in his left hand.

Physical Description
Ganesha is shown here seated on a double lotus throne, in a royal posture with the soles of his feet together. He has four arms, and holds two of his attributes in the rear pair: an ax and a rosary. His trunk curls down across his rotund belly to reach for a bowl of sweets that rests in his left forward arm. The cobra slung across his shoulder, now hard to make out because of the centuries of wear of the stone, indicates Ganesha's lineage as the son of the Shiva, in his aspect as the great ascetic. Almost 27 inches high, this sculpture of the Hindu god Ganesha is carved of andesite, a volcanic stone common to the island of Java in Indonesia. Andesite is a soft stone and erodes easily, which is why the carving is no longer crisp.

Primary Object Classification
Sculpture

Primary Object Type
figure

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Hinduism
stone (worked rock)

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(Part of: Post-Visit Materials)
Lesson Plan: I Used to Think, But Now I Think
(Part of: Post-Visit Materials)
Second Grade: Art Rocks! Geology and Art
(Part of: Docent Curricular Tours)
Second Grade: Healthy Living Tour    
(Part of: Docent Curricular Tours)
Hinduism
(Part of: World Religions)
The Art of Yoga
(Part of: Resources Made by Isabel Engel)

& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted

On display

UMMA Gallery Location ➜ FFW, 2nd floor ➜ 217 (Gallery of South, Southeast and Central Asian Art)