Ganesh is one of the most significant and most popular gods in the Hindu faith. He finds adherents across India, regardless of sect, and even beyond the Hindu faith, being venerated by some Jains and Buddhists. He is the god of wisdom and intellect, the patron of the arts, the remover of obstacles, and the bringer of good fortune. He is perhaps most famous for having the head of an elephant. While in some stories he was born with this head, in most retellings he attains his head later. In the most popular myth, he was created from clay by the goddess Parvati to protect her. When he got between Parvati and her husband, Shiva the Destroyer, Shiva beheaded him. To console his distraught consort, he then replaced the head with that of an elephant. In another variant, Ganesh was created from Shiva’s laughter; Shiva then found him too alluring, and so replaced his head and gave him a rotund stomach to make him less attractive. His pot belly leads to his nicknames lambodara (‘pot-bellied’) and mahodara (‘Great Belly’).

In this fine bronze statue, dating to the Seventeenth Century AD and originally from Indonesia, we find Ganesh standing on a lotus base (vishvapadma). His most notable attribute is his elephant head; elephants are famous for clearing paths through the forest, and therefore his head symbolises his role as remover of obstacles. The head is realistically rendered, including the small, round eyes, and the folds of skin on the trunk. His large ears are attractively scalloped and culminate in a small flourish by the head. His trunk hangs to his left side, representing the ida nadi, the feminine pathway through which energy is distributed in the body. The tip of his trunk rests in a bowl, indicating the god’s power to bestow material prosperity. He has one full tusk, and one half tusk, the tip of which is held in his right hand. This identifies this Ganesh as ekadanta (one-tusked). According to the Mahabharata, Ganesh was tasked by the sage Vyasa to write down a poem as he dictated it to him. Ganesh agreed, on the condition that Vyasa did not pause during the writing. However, Ganesh’s feather pen broke; in order to keep writing, and so keep his promise, he broke off one of his tusks, and used that instead. In his upper left hand he carries the battle axe (parshavadha) with which he battles demons and protects the dharma, and in his upper right hand he holds a rosary (aksmala).

Ganesh is shirtless, revealing his pot belly, representing brahmanda, the entire universe. He wears an ankle-length decorated loincloth, which is held in place by an elaborate bejewelled belt with hanging elements. His torso, arms, neck and feet are also covered with jewels, representing the good fortune associated with the worship of Ganesh. On his head is an intricate stupa-shaped crown, with protruding floriate side elements. On the back of Ganesh’s head is a plate depicting Kirtimukha, a ferocious and ghastly demon lion’s face. As a creation of Shiva, Kirtimukha is a common feature in the temple architecture of Southern India, Nepal, and Indonesia. It guards the entrance to temples, and protects anyone who wears it from evil spirits.

This figure is elegantly worked. It was cast using the ‘lost wax’ technique, whereby a mould is made of a wax sculpture, which then melts, leaving a negative space in which the bronze can be cast. The result is an intricate sculpture with much fine detail. It exudes the power and majesty of the elephant, while retaining something of the calmness with which Ganesh is so often associated. It contrasts the softness of Ganesh’s form with the exquisite detail of his elaborate clothing and decoration.