Ganesha

India, Tamil Nadu

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 251

On festival days during the Chola period in south India, cast metal images of Hindu deities were carried in procession outside the temple precincts. This potbellied representation of Ganesha would most likely have accompanied a dancing image of his father, Shiva. Two of his hands grasp a lasso and a battle axe, symbols of his role as a rescuer and protector. His other two hands hold a sweet and one of his own tusks, which he broke off in a fit of anger.

#961. Kids: Standing Ganesha

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Ganesha, Copper alloy, India, Tamil Nadu

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