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devotionalfigureofganesh · 4 years

Text

April 20 - Transcript

I found writing the actual transcript to be surprisingly difficult. I had a hard time not making it sound too much like a stiff, formal essay and instead giving it a tone more relaxed than what I am used to writing. I also had a hard time organizing my research. I found that there were a few sections, such as the part about devotional practices, I had a hard time placing smoothly into the rest of the transcript. I had to do and redo my outline a few times.

Another issue occurred when I went over the time limit only about halfway into my transcript. I really had to prioritize my research, and unfortunately had to let go of a lot of my information about modern figures and devotion, which I was planning on including in my essay. I wanted to include a part about the ‘orientalizing eye of the west’ and western consumerism of these objects much more in the finished transcript than I ended up being able to include. However, I am still pleased with the final product and am very much looking forward to putting it together. Here is a copy of my transcript:

My object of desire is a cast bronze figure of Ganesh. This is a devotional figure crafted by the Newar people in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal in the 18th or 19th century, using the lost-wax method of bronze casting. It is nearly 11 inches tall and 8 1/2 inches wide, with a depth of 2 inches. There is also a separate wooden stand, carved in the shape of a lotus, which was made much later to display the figure.

Ganesh is worshipped as the elephant-headed God of wisdom and prosperity. He is known as the ‘Remover of Obstacles’, and is often invoked before beginning anything, and is thus traditionally the first God honored in rituals. Ganesh is a very popular deity amongst the belief systems of South Asia. He holds a place in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. Nepal has always been a stronghold of Hinduism, including when this figure was made.

A figure such as this is not regarded to itself be the God, but rather an embodiment or manifestation of him. As such, it is not an idol. In Hinduism, a votive figure placed in a temple or home is called a ‘murti’. A clear mental visualization of the God plays an important role in both Hindu and Buddhist devotion of these figures. This is particularly true of Buddhism, where such objects act as spiritual guides to direct prayer. This is also a key part of Hindu votive worship, though Hindus also often adorn the figures and make offerings, such offerings are often particular to the deity. When honoring Ganesh, sweet treats such as modak and laddu are often prepared for the God. He is also commonly adorned with sweet smelling flowers, such as hibiscus and marigolds, and erukku garlands, a flower native to India. Burning sweetly scented incense is another orthodox offering to Ganesh. Some sects of Buddhism participate in this more than others. Tibetan buddhism is widespread in Nepal, and practice ritual offerings of food, water, incense, and flowers to votive figures. Meditation and mental cultivation also rely upon focusing one’s mind on a single object, often a figure such as this. This particular devotional figure, due to the hooks on the back, would have likely been hung on a wall in a temple or home. The added lotus stand would have later allowed it to sit on a surface.

Lord Ganesh has 32 forms, all with particular iconographies. The form of Ganesh this object depicts is ‘Heramba Ganapathi’. This is one of his most popular forms, particularly in Nepal. He has five heads, four pointing in the cardinal directions and one on top, looking upwards. Heramba Ganapati is known as the ‘Protector of the Weak’.

As reflected in this figure, Heramba Ganapati has ten arms holding various symbolic objects associated with this form. His uppermost right hand holds an akshamālā, a Buddhist rosary. The hand under this holds a three-headed mudgara, a type of mallet common in Tibetan Buddhism, and an object often specific to Heramba Ganapati. Here, Ganesh holds mōdaka, a traditional sweet said to be his favorite and a common offering. It represents the sweet things in life. His lower most right hand is in varada mudra; a gesture indicating generosity.

On his left side, his uppermost hand holds a parasú (parashu). This is a battle-axe, an orthodox attribute of the Heramba Ganapati form, symbolic of cutting through obstacles and severing the bonds of attachment. The next holds a lotus flower, symbolic of enlightenment. Another object indicative of Heramba Ganapati is pāśa (pasha), or rope, emblematic of pulling oneself closer to one’s goals. His lowest left hand is in abhaya mudra, a gesture of protection and fearlessness.

His central left hand cuddles the female figure by his side. His center right hand holds his broken tusk, called danta. The story behind Ganesh’s broken tusk also links to the snake typically seen around his waist. It follows the ancient legend that one evening after a feast, Ganesh’s stomach exploded after overeating. He broke off a piece of his tusk and threw it at the moon, who was mocking him. Ganesh picked up a snake and tied it around his waist to hold his stomach together. These have become key elements of Ganesh’s traditional iconography, in any of his forms.

Ganesh is often shown with an animal vehicle, or vahana. Heramba Ganapati is depicted with either a lion mount or Dinka, his usual rat. This figure sees Ganesh with two rats underfoot as his vahana. Rats are symbolic of uncontrolled ego and desires, and here Ganesh is shown as being in control of the ego, lending the message that desires ought to be kept in check.

Ganesh is seen accompanied by a female figure. The Oriental Museum lists her identity as Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and adoptive mother of Ganesh. However, I believe that this is not a goddess at all, but one of Ganesh’s consorts. Other representations of Heramba Ganapati often depict him with a single consort. I have not encountered any instances of Lakshmi accompanying this form of Ganesh. The figure also does not follow Lakshmi’s traditional iconography, which nearly always depicts her holding a lotus. Here, the consort’s hands are in varada mudra and abhaya mudra, mirroring those of Ganesh.

This object, due to the intricacy and detail, can likely be attributed as a work of the Newar people of Nepal. These are the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley. The Newars are known for their domination of Nepali artistic culture and production. Newars practice both Hinduism and Buddhism, so assuming this figure is a Newari creation, it would have been intended for worship by both Hindus and Buddhists.

The object consists of six separate bronze parts, which are fitted to each other by wire or inserted into designed holes. The separate sections of the piece, in addition to the popularity of the method among Newar artisans, reveal that it was created using the lost-wax method of bronze casting. This method has been used in South Asia for thousands of years, and Newar craftsmen helped diffuse this technique more widely. The first step is the creation of a wax model, which may be very finely detailed. A clay mold is fashioned around the wax model which, when heated, retains its shape while the wax melts out. Bronze is then poured into the clay mold. When cooled, the clay mold is broken to reveal a bronze sculpture. The figure of Ganesh was made through repeating this process six times for six separate pieces, as this allowed for a greater intricacy of detail.

Ganesh and his consort are not the only features of this object. The complex decoration around the two figures reveal plant motifs, birds, flowers, snakes, and other creatures. At the center of the sculptural figure, just above the head of Ganesh, is Garuda. This is a bird creature which features in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Garuda is the vahana of Lord Vishnu, and they are commonly depicted together. Garuda is also a protective deity, particularly against snakes. He is the legendary enemy of the naga serpents, half human and half snake. In this figure, Garuda is seen clutching in his talons the snake tails of the two Naga women on either side of him.

There is also a harvest motif present throughout this object. The outermost bronze pointed oval sees a repetition of corn and corn sheaves, alongside plants and birds. There are also two monkeys by the feet of Ganesh presenting corn to the elephant-headed God. The amount of harvest iconography raises the possibility of this as a harvest icon. This is furthered by Ganesh’s position as God of fertility and prosperity, and his particular form here as ‘Protector of the Weak’, as well as the unusual pairing of Garuda and Ganesh. This figure could have been produced for use by farmers, who would pray to Ganesh to protect them and remove obstacles to a prosperous harvest.

The West has held a long standing fascination with these figures. A trend of western collecting is evidenced in the acquisition of this specific figure. It was purchased by collector Colonel A. H. Burn and brought back to the United Kingdom as part of a wider collection of south asian figures. This object stands out from the rest of Colonel Burn’s collection The rest are largely carved schist, or another rock material, and are from India, of the earlier Gandhara period. Given such divergence from the rest of the collection, one wonders what drove Colonel Burn to Nepal, and what attracted him to this object in particular. Perhaps its beauty spoke to him as well, also becoming his object of desire.

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