Brass Ganesha Votive Miniature - 18th Century

This 18th century Indian brass miniature Ganesh would have been used in personal home shrines. It has been used heavily in puja casing heavy wear and smoothing to the one defined features. He has four arms holding his battle hatchet, his broken tusk, sweets called laddu balls and possibly a rosary, lotus flower or noose. The snake wrapped around his big round belly is clearly recognizable. He is wearing a conical headdress and reaching for the laddu sweets with his trunk. The face's detail is worn off with years worth of devotional rubbing. The remnants of years worth of tika spice can be seen in the cracks and crevices. 

Ganesh is the ever-blissful, elephant-headed god who is lovingly worshipped and revered by millions of Hindus worldwide. He is the God of good luck and auspiciousness. He is also worshipped as the God of wisdom, wealth, health, celibacy, fertility and happiness. The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesh has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. Ganesh is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, success and the fine arts. He is one of the five prime Hindu deities.