16 - STANDING WOOD GANESHA INDIA 1950'S

STANDING WOOD GANESHA INDIA 1950'S Dimensions: Height 15 cm Wide 7 cm Depth 4 cm Weight: 113 grams A lively carved wooden Ganesha standing on a round, tiered base, its front inset with a small animal relief. The elephant-headed god wears a tall tapering crown, layered ornaments and a long, pleated garment, while four arms spread outward to display attributes and gestures. His trunk curls across the chest and the large ears frame a carefully worked face. The warm, pale wood and sharply cut incisions lend the small figure a pleasing clarity. Ganesha is among the most beloved deities of Hindu worship, honoured as the remover of obstacles and a patron of auspicious beginnings, knowledge and prosperity. The miniature animal at the base may allude to his traditional mouse vehicle, an important part of his iconographic identity. The work shows how an established sacred image can retain its expressive presence in an intimate, portable wooden form.