Indian Mythological God
'Ganesha'

A statue of Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity, son of Shiva and Parvati. In Indian mythology, Ganesha is god of universal popularity among Hindus, an icon of luck and prosperity. He is revered as the god who eradicates danger, a god of prudence and diplomacy.

The muliti-armed deity stands frontally, the hands are held in the gesture of appeasement(vitarka mudra) in which the thumb and index fingure are joined to form a circle. The lower right hand holds a broken tusk, while the other hands hold attributes.

The image is adorned by a sacred cord or 'upavita', a serpent coiled about his upper body. He wears a knee-length 'chawng kbun', tied by lengths of pleated fabric forming a draping pendant sash, both front and back. The surface of the bronze is beautifully patinaed in green and bluish green efflorescence. The figure dates to the 15th century.