Ganesha Statue - Antique Thai Style Bronze Reclining Ganesha Statue on Moon - 31cm/12"

Antique Thai Style Bronze Reclining Ganesha Statue in Moon - 31cm/12"

Measures – (Height) 31cm/12”

An antique Thai style bronze Ganesha reclining on the moon.

Ganesha is the elephant headed son of Shiva. He holds his broken tusk in one hand and a bowl of sweetmeats in another hand.

The moon in this statue refers to Ganesha cursing the moon. A big feast had been arranged for the Gods and Goddesses, including Lord Ganesha. To make him feel special and show their devotion to Lord Ganesha, they had prepared many of his favourite sweets. Ganesha loves to eat, hence he could not control his desire for food and started eating. He ate and ate everything offered to him. This swelled his stomach which became prominent.

Embarrassed by his large stomach he decided to wait until night and then leave the feast, so that no one can see him and his swollen stomach in the dark. As he left the feast he heard someone laughing loudly. It was the shining moon. Embarrassed and enraged Lord Ganesha cursed the moon saying that he will be invisible forever from that day onwards. Hearing this, the moon begged for his forgiveness.

Over time Ganesha repented and wanted to take back his curse. Once given though a curse cannot be taken back. So Lord Ganesha proclaimed that the moon would grow thinner each day and remain invisible for only one day in a month, which is called Amavasya and is considered inauspicious.

This story represented here by Ganesha seated on the moon teaches us that we should be kind in all of our actions and forgive those who repent of their mistakes.

The symbol carved on his head is a trident. The Trident or Trishula is a divine symbol and principle iconography of the Hindu religion. Essentially, symbolising the divinity of Ganesha. The three points of the trishula have various meanings and significance, and, common to the Hindu religion, have many stories behind them.

They are commonly said to represent various trinities—creation, maintenance, and destruction; past, present, and future; body, mind and atman; dharma or dhamma (law and order), bliss/mutual enjoyment and emanation/created bodies; compassion, joy and love; spiritual, psychic and relative; happiness, comfort and boredom; pride, repute and egotism; clarity, knowledge and wisdom; heaven, mind and earth; soul, fire and earth; soul, passion and embodied-soul; logic, passion and faith; prayer, manifestation and sublime.

Ganesha is also holding a lotus bud flower, the symbol of enlightenment. This in turn, when seen in Lord Ganesha’s hands, means that the God blesses us with attaining enlightenment and eternal spiritual happiness.

The direction of Ganesha's trunk has symbolic meaning. Here the trunk turns to Ganesha's left. This signifies the direction for success in the world. It is a position associated with grihastas, or householders.

In his early forms in India, Ganesha was associated with fertility. Later he became widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles, patron of arts and sciences and the deity of intellect and wisdom.

The distinctive patina of the piece is particularly delightful.

One of the most recognizable of the Asian deities this representation of Ganesha is sure to enlighten your home with endlessly timeless style.

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