GH-49644: [Python] Support converting list of multi-dimensional arrays to FixedShapeTensor

python/pyarrow/src/arrow/python/python_to_arrow.cc

@@ -908,8 +908,20 @@ class PyListConverter : public ListConverter<T, PyConverter, PyConverterTrait> {
 
   Status AppendNdarray(PyObject* value) {
     PyArrayObject* ndarray = reinterpret_cast<PyArrayObject*>(value);
+    OwnedRef flattened;
     if (PyArray_NDIM(ndarray) != 1) {
-      return Status::Invalid("Can only convert 1-dimensional array values");
+      // GH-49644: a fixed-size list (e.g. the storage of a fixed-shape tensor)
+      // can be built from a multi-dimensional array by flattening it in C
+      // order. The total number of elements must still match the list size,
+      // which the builder validates below. Variable-sized lists remain
+      // restricted to 1-dimensional values to avoid ambiguity.
+      if (this->list_type_->id() != Type::FIXED_SIZE_LIST) {
+        return Status::Invalid("Can only convert 1-dimensional array values");
+      }
+      flattened.reset(PyArray_Ravel(ndarray, NPY_CORDER));
+      RETURN_IF_PYERROR();
+      value = flattened.obj();
+      ndarray = reinterpret_cast<PyArrayObject*>(value);
     }
     if (PyArray_ISBYTESWAPPED(ndarray)) {
       // TODO

python/pyarrow/tests/test_array.py

@@ -2924,6 +2924,32 @@ def test_array_from_invalid_dim_raises():
         pa.array(arr0d)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.numpy
+def test_fixed_size_list_from_multidim_ndarray():
+    # GH-49644: a fixed-size list can be built from multi-dimensional ndarray
+    # elements by flattening them in C order.
+    arr = pa.array([np.array([[1, 2, 3]], dtype=np.int64),
+                    np.array([[4, 5, 6]], dtype=np.int64)],
+                   type=pa.list_(pa.int64(), 3))
+    assert arr.type == pa.list_(pa.int64(), 3)
+    assert arr.to_pylist() == [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]]
+
+    # A non-trivial 2D shape confirms values are flattened in C (row-major) order
+    arr = pa.array([np.array([[1, 2], [3, 4]], dtype=np.int64)],
+                   type=pa.list_(pa.int64(), 4))
+    assert arr.to_pylist() == [[1, 2, 3, 4]]
+
+    # The flattened length must still match the fixed size
+    with pytest.raises(pa.lib.ArrowInvalid):
+        pa.array([np.array([[1, 2], [3, 4]], dtype=np.int64)],
+                 type=pa.list_(pa.int64(), 3))
+
+    # Variable-sized lists still require 1-dimensional values
+    with pytest.raises(pa.lib.ArrowInvalid, match="1-dimensional"):
+        pa.array([np.array([[1, 2, 3]], dtype=np.int64)],
+                 type=pa.list_(pa.int64()))
+
+
 @pytest.mark.numpy
 def test_array_from_strided_bool():
     # ARROW-6325

python/pyarrow/tests/test_extension_type.py

@@ -1730,6 +1730,48 @@ def test_tensor_array_from_numpy(np_type_str):
         pa.FixedShapeTensorArray.from_numpy_ndarray(arr, dim_names=[0, 1])
 
 
+@pytest.mark.numpy
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("np_type_str", ("int8", "int64", "float32"))
+def test_tensor_array_from_list_of_ndarrays(np_type_str):
+    # GH-49644: build a fixed-shape-tensor array from a list of individual
+    # (multi-dimensional) ndarrays, not only from a single stacked ndarray.
+    np_dtype = np.dtype(np_type_str)
+    tensor_type = pa.fixed_shape_tensor(pa.from_numpy_dtype(np_dtype), (2, 3))
+
+    elements = [
+        np.arange(6, dtype=np_dtype).reshape(2, 3),
+        np.arange(6, 12, dtype=np_dtype).reshape(2, 3),
+    ]
+    result = pa.array(elements, type=tensor_type)
+    assert isinstance(result, pa.FixedShapeTensorArray)
+    assert result.type == tensor_type
+    assert len(result) == 2
+
+    # Must match the existing from_numpy_ndarray path on the same data
+    expected = pa.FixedShapeTensorArray.from_numpy_ndarray(np.stack(elements))
+    assert result.storage.equals(expected.storage)
+
+    # Each element round-trips back to the original ndarray (with its shape)
+    for scalar, original in zip(result, elements):
+        np.testing.assert_array_equal(scalar.to_numpy(), original)
+
+    # Higher-dimensional tensors work too
+    tensor_3d = pa.fixed_shape_tensor(pa.from_numpy_dtype(np_dtype), (2, 2, 3))
+    elements_3d = [np.arange(12, dtype=np_dtype).reshape(2, 2, 3)]
+    result_3d = pa.array(elements_3d, type=tensor_3d)
+    assert result_3d.type == tensor_3d
+    np.testing.assert_array_equal(result_3d[0].to_numpy(), elements_3d[0])
+
+    # None elements are allowed
+    result_with_null = pa.array([elements[0], None], type=tensor_type)
+    assert result_with_null.null_count == 1
+    assert result_with_null[1].as_py() is None
+
+    # A flattened size that doesn't match the tensor shape is rejected
+    with pytest.raises(pa.lib.ArrowInvalid):
+        pa.array([np.arange(8, dtype=np_dtype).reshape(2, 4)], type=tensor_type)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.numpy
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("tensor_type", (
     pa.fixed_shape_tensor(pa.int8(), [2, 2, 3]),