361 - SEATED GANESHA ON RAT INDIA 18TH CENTURY

SEATED GANESHA ON RAT INDIA 18TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 6,9 cm Wide 5 cm Depth 3,2 cm Weight: 192 grams A lively bronze Ganesha seated side-saddle on his rat mount, the animal's pointed body extending beneath the deity and giving the composition a strong horizontal base. Ganesha is shown with multiple arms, a high crown and a long trunk curling across the centre of the body. The arrangement of raised hands and attributes creates a compact fan around the elephant-headed figure, while incised details pick out the crown, garments and ornament. The bronze has a warm golden-brown surface with darker tone in the recesses. The rat, or mouse, is Ganesha's traditional vahana, the animal vehicle that accompanies and identifies him. The pairing creates one of the most memorable contrasts in Hindu iconography: a large, powerful elephant-headed deity carried by one of the smallest and most agile creatures. The visual paradox has often been understood as a reminder that intelligence and divine power can master what is restless, elusive or difficult to control. Here the sculptor has used the mount not as a minor accessory but as part of the entire silhouette. Its pointed head projects to one side while Ganesha's bent leg and multiple arms fill the space above, producing a miniature bronze that is both devotional image and compact sculptural narrative.