Antique Indian carved figure of Ganesha, the elephant headed Hindu deity known as the Remover of Obstacles. Carved of soapstone and with traces of pigment. Ganesha sits on a bench with one leg up. His gently curling trunk rests on his large round belly. According to legend, Ganesha was created from mud by the goddess Parvati in order to guard her while she bathed. Upon returning home from meditation, Parvati's husband, Shiva was furious to find his path blocked by Parvati's mud guardian. Ganesha took his job very seriously and a fight began during which Ganesha somehow lost his head (cut off by Shiva or one of his demons). Parvati, emerging from her bath, was distraught at what Shiva had done. Quickly, Shiva attempted to reverse his mistake by substituting the mud head with that of the nearest animal, in this case, an elephant. Filled with remorse and impressed by his dedication, Shiva and Parvati declared Ganesha their son.

Age: 19th century

Dimensions: 7 1/2" high x 5" wide x 2 1/2" deep