Ganesh Shrine. Elephant headed god from the Hindu religion, also appreciated within the Buddhist traditions.

This is a flat backed version of the traditional god in reconstituted marble, a great gift for scholars and those starting new ventures.
 
Size  13cms high 9.5 cms across and 5 cms deep.
 
A short history.
Ganesh is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the divinity of intellect and wisdom.
As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rites and ceremonies. Ganesh is also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions
Ganesh is worshipped on many religious and secular occasions, especially at the beginning of ventures such as buying a vehicle or starting a business.

Ganesh appears in Mahayana Buddhism, not only in the form of the Buddhist god Vināyaka, but also as a Hindu demon form with the same name.  His image also appears in Buddhist sculptures.