Ganesha Sculpture with Axe and Mushika Rat

This exquisite Ganesha sculpture is meticulously crafted from a single piece of burl wood. The head, ears, hands, and legs are forged from sterling silver, and the eyes are studded with jade. The trunk is partially made from sterling silver. One hand is holding an intricately designed ax, made from sterling silver, and decorated with jade set in a liana wood handle covered with Galuchat. The ax symbolizes Ganesha's power to cut through attachments and remove obstacles.

The lord is adorned with a prayer bead necklace. On one leg, there is a 'Mushika' (rat) with agate eyes, set on a black granite stand. This piece beautifully combines traditional artistry with luxurious materials, making it a stunning addition to any collection.

“Mushika” as a rat has mythological importance in various ancient Indian Kingdoms and a belief is that Lord Ganesha is able to go into nooks and corners of the world and do his job as the Destroyer of Obstacles because his vehicle is a mouse, who basically can slither through tiny holes and narrow pathways, even in the darkness of night. This gave the quality of all-pervasiveness to Ganesha.
 
The Lotus Arts de Vivre mythology collection is born from a playful imagination and technical knowhow of fusing raw materials with organic shapes found in nature and drawing inspirations from Asian history and culture, in this case Lord Ganesha from India. Embodying a spirit of discovery and curiosity to the natural world, these labor-intensive master pieces are one of a kind works of art that invite the world of dreams and myths into our everyday lives.

Rolf von Bueren, an avid burl wood collector for over 40 years, personally travels to Japan to look for rare and beautiful pieces of burl woods – some that he keeps, some that he shares with his collector friends and Lotus Arts de Vivre designs. Burls result in a uniquely patterned wood, which is highly prized for its beauty. It is valued and sought after by artists, furniture makers and sculptors. The "wild grain" in the Burl makes the wood extremely dense and resistant to splitting, which made it valued for bowls, artifacts and sculptures, and is a popular wood in many auction houses across the world.

It took 8 master craftsmen with a combined production time of 5 months to complete the Ganesha. From imagining its unique design, sculpting its shape, carving the wood, to employing a silver smith, great thought and care has gone into creating this timeless art piece.

Size: 37(W) x 71(L) x 77.5(H) cm.
Weight: 17.5 kg.