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Pilgrimage and devotional mould with Ganesh
(19th century-20th century)
Medium
copper alloy
Measurements
3.8 × 3.6 × 0.6 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of John McCarthy in memory of Edwin and Margot McCarthy through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, 2013
Gallery location
Level 1, NGV International
About this work
Ganesha, son of Shiva and Parvati, is one of the most popular and widely worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon. His distinctive elephant head symbolises knowledge and wisdom, and he is the Hindu patron of arts and sciences. Also known as the ‘remover of obstacles’, his support is considered essential to the success of new endeavours, and he is regularly invoked before religious ceremonies and undertakings of all kinds. Elephants, believed to represent the living incarnation of Ganesha, are sacred in the Hindu religion and revered in art. Elephants were so significant in the Rajput courts that these favoured animals were often honoured with privileges and painted in portraits.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
India
Inscription
none
Accession Number
2013.118
Department
Asian Art
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Gordon Darling Foundation