Ganesh, Metal
Ganesha as Warrior
Here we have a statue of the Hindu God Ganesha (Ganesh), with four arms and ready to remove obstacles and clear the way. He is in the standing posture of a warrior. In one hand he holds a hatchet (parasu), a symbol for the cutting away of vanity and false teaching. In another hand, he holds a goad (ankusha), symbolising the logic that cuts through illusion. In another hand, he holds a trident (trisula), linking him with his father, Shiva. Ganesha's fourth hand gestures fearlessness and reassurance.
Ganesha in Conch Shell
In this very unusual statue of Ganesha (Ganesh), the Hindu god of beginnings and removal of obstacles, Ganesha carries a trident, a symbol representative of his father, Shiva. He stands on his mount, a rat (shrew), sheltered inside a half conch shell, a symbol of the spoken word which can be considered both as a trumpet or an offering vessel. We have not been able to track down the details of the iconography on this piece, but it is undoubtedly based on one of the many stories of Ganesha. Perhaps one of our readers knows more?
Ganesha, Reclining, Small
Here we have a Ganesha (Ganesh) statue showing the Hindu god relaxing in a variation of rajalila asana, or royal ease pose. He shows the elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and the characteristic (shared with some humans) of a big pot belly. As the remover of obstacles, he is widely worshiped in India.














