The Hindu Deity Parvati10/26/2011 Detail showing Ganesha OK, I passed my first Asian Art Museum docent training test. When I opened the test, I looked at a 20 point question and said to myself -- oh oh not good. The question related to Indian deities and the symbols associated with them. I had only casually studied them. So I spent my lunch break going up to the gallery to study the next 70 pieces for the next test. I was looking at this image of Parvati. Parvati is the wife of Shiva and the mother of the god Ganesha. Ganesha has an elephant head. They told us to read the "didactics" so I read it carefully. It said there was a small figure of Ganesha next to Parvati's right foot. I took another look and there he was! a lion beneath Parvati October 27, 2011: Well I had to go and research the question about Parvati's animal mount. It seems Parvati is associated with either a tiger or lion. I took a close look at the sculpture again and voila - a lion seems to be beneath her! Thanks for the question, Chris.
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As part of my studies to become a docent at the Asian Art Museum, I'm studying Indian art. The Hindu God Ganesha is an auspicious symbol and believed to be the remover of obstacles and often found at the entrances to temples.
According to the Hindu stories, Ganesha is the son of the Hindu God Shiva and his wife Parvati. Shiva cut off his head by accident, but restored him to life by giving him the head of an elephant -- elephants being symbols of fertility and plenty. This lively sculpture is particularly nice with the curve of his trunk echoed by the curve of his dancing body followed by the curve of his hands. His holds an upraised weapon to cut away obstacles, a bowl to sweets to feast upon, and his broken tusk - broken in a battle with a demon. Carving of Ganga: This small carving (about 15" high) is the subject of my first practice presentation I am giving as part of my Asian Art Museum docent training. The sculpture is of Ganga the Hindu Deity of the Ganges River. People growing up familiar with the Hindu tradition would recognize the lotus flower in her left hand and a water vessel in her right hand and symbols representing Ganga. She is standing on a mythical water creature called a makara. Hindus believe that all who came into the path of Ganga would be purified.
The deity Ganga and the Ganges River are one and the same. According to Hindu mythology, Ganga came down from the heavens to form the Ganges River originating in the Himalayas, flowing 1500 miles through North India into the Ganges River Basin in Bangladesh and into the Bay of Bengal. The identification with water is significant for Ganga. For centuries and to this day people flock to bathe in the Ganges River to be purified of sins. My presentation went well. Nervous Novitiate8/20/2011 19 August 2011: Today I climb the stairs to an unknown future. I feel like a nervous novitiate about to enter a monastery and start a new life - excited and apprehensive at the same time. I start the three year long training program at the Asian Art Museum. Most of the 60 of us are unfamiliar faces to each other, yet in the course of three years, we will be comrade in arms.
If I start talking about Asian Art a bit more on this blog you will know why. The Asian Art Museum San Francisco5/15/2011 Standing Buddha Korea Silla Dynasty Yesterday I accepted an invitation to enter the three year docent training program at the Asian Art Museum intensifying a life-long interest in Asian Art. I went for an interview on April 22nd. They interviewed candidates in groups of three using pre-set questions. Afterwards I went with one of the interviewers to the Korean Galleries to pick an object and give a "Mock" presentation. I gave a presentation on this Buddha trying to remember what I knew about the historic Buddha and Buddhism. Buddhists believe that life is just an illusion and the word illusion triggered a memory of the Jimmy Ruffin 1960's Motown hit with the lines -- Love's happiness is just an illusion, Filled with Sadness and Confusion -- I didn't mention that though. Training starts this fall.
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