08E
$8500
16″ diameter x 61″ high.
Beautiful minimalist antique Ganesha statue from the island of Nias. Hand carved from one massive block of teak wood. Early 20th century. Nias statues are simple in shape and a symbol of the achievements of a king.
This statue was hand carved in the spirit of Wabi-Sabi, a Japanese philosophy that beauty can be found in imperfection and impermanence. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. A beauty of things unconventional. It is the opposite of vulgarity. The costs of achieving this kind of minimalism are seemingly inconsistent with its mission of aesthetic humility. This kind of luxury is for a select few: The Emperor of Japan had a Wabi garden. Wabi is for people who already have a lot.