LACMA

Ganesha loves sweet treats like mangoes and modakas, which are steamed rice flour balls filled with coconut and dried fruit. In many images Ganesha has at least four arms, and his hands hold objects that symbolize his divine power. In this sculpture, Ganesha holds a broken tusk, an ax, a noose, and a modaka. His trunk is about to scoop the modaka into his mouth.

Ganesha's mother is the goddess Parvati, and his father is the god Shiva. There are many religious stories about Ganesha, including some that describe how he got his elephant head. According to legend, Parvati shaped a boy out of clay to keep her company when Shiva was away. The boy became like a son to Parvati. One day, she took a bath and asked the boy to guard the door. While he stood guard, Shiva returned home but the boy would not let Shiva enter. In a rage, Shiva cut off the boy's head before learning that the boy was his son. When Shiva was unable to find the boy's head an elephant offered his own so the boy could be brought back to life. After giving the boy his new head Shiva named him Ganesha and made him the lord of good fortune and the remover of obstacles.

You can see this sculpture in the South and Southeast Asian art galleries on the fourth level of the Ahmanson Building at LACMA.