Lot 166d, Auction 4/20/2026: 18th C. Indian Ganesha Figurine with Rat

$325.00

In stock

South Asia, India, ca. 18th century CE. A diminutive yet expressive brass figurine of the elephant-headed god Ganesha, richly imbued with symbolic presence despite its small scale. The deity is shown seated with both legs bent and propped up before him, his corpulent belly prominently modeled as the center of his form. His four arms radiate outward, two bent in angular gestures while his long curved trunk descends in a graceful arc. Ganesha wears a tall conical headdress and broad circular ears that frame his serene face. At his proper right side crouches his vahana (mount), the rat, carefully delineated in miniature form and gazing upward toward the god. The figure rests upon a low base encircled with incised rope-like decoration, giving the piece a sense of stability and ritual presence. Size: 2.5″ L x 2″ W x 4″ H (6.4 cm x 5.1 cm x 10.2 cm)

Ganesha, revered as the remover of obstacles, lord of beginnings, and patron of wisdom, was among the most widely worshipped deities of the Hindu pantheon during the 18th century. Portable images such as this one likely functioned as personal devotional icons, used in shrines or carried in travel to invoke the god’s blessings. Its compact size and stylized modeling reflect the intimate nature of private worship while retaining the essential attributes of Ganesha’s iconography: elephant head, potbelly, multiple arms, and his ever-faithful rat companion.

Condition: Weathering to surface with pitting and abrasions as shown. Some perforations and losses to base. Liberal remaining detail with rich patina throughout.

Provenance: ex-P.T. collection, Queens, New York, USA

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