Expert’s note: This unique figure has a fine layer of silver above its copper-alloy core, some of which has worn away over time. This loss is due in part to centuries of veneration within the culture, as well as natural weathering. Its inspiring appearance today is a testament to its centuries-long history, during which it has been a silent witness to many cultural transformations. These experiences are etched into the statue itself, allowing it to convey a profound sense of persistence.

The silvered copper-alloy figure is finely cast standing atop a separate lotus pedestal, made of bronze. The right hand raised in abhaya mudra and the left holding sweets from which he samples with his long curling trunk. Wearing a short sampot secured at the waist with the front end falling down the center in a flaring fold, and the upavita (sacred thread) across his left shoulder, his body richly adorned with foliate jewelry. (2)

Provenance: The Degand Collection, Brussels, Belgium. Antichita’ La Balaustra, Bologna, Italy, 1997. Collection of Paolo Bertuzzi, acquired from the above. A copy of a certificate written by Giuliana Zanetti of Antichita’ La Balaustra, addressed to Paolo Bertuzzi, dated 5 September 1997, confirming the dating and provenance above, accompanies this lot. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.
Condition: Condition commensurate with age, showing old wear, weathering and casting irregularities. Minute nicks and small dents here and there, surface abrasion, and rubbing. The silver layer to the figure has partially worn off. The bronze stand with a rich, naturally grown, dark patina and vibrant malachite encrustations.

Weight: 42.6 g (excl. stand), 93.7 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 6 cm (excl. stand), 7.6 cm (incl. stand)

Literature comparison:
Compare a related earlier Javanese bronze figure of a seated Ganesha, dated to the 9^th century, 7.9 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1987.142.300. Compare a Khmer Baphuon-style bronze figure of a standing Ganesha, 14.5 cm high, dated to the 11th century, at Christie’s New York, 19 September 2002, lot 189.