The image of the seated Lord Ganesha in the Tanjore idiom. The son of Shiva and Parvati, a widely adored baala-deva (boy-deity), is seated on a studded throne of solid gold. Behind the chaturbhujadhari deity rises the velvet-upholstered backrest hemmed in with gold. The same is studded with concentric rows of red and green stones which resemble rubies and emeralds, respectively. Ganesha is dressed

The ashtabhujadhari Lord Ganesha, the one possessed of (‘dhari’) eight (‘ashta’) arms (‘bhuja’), stands on His short, chubby child’s legs. His adorable elephant head is turned sideways, revealing the lateral profile of His face to view. But for the gold predominating this Tanjore painting, it is a bitone composition in pale pink (the complexion of His form) and scarlet (the solid-col