Vintage sculpture "Hanuman." Made of bronze and covered with a patina. China, 20th century.

Hanuman is considered one of Shiva's avatars, the god of the vanaras (a kingdom of half-human, half-monkey creatures), appearing in the form of a monkey. He is the son of the wind god Vayu, who lives in the Himalayas. He is one of the heroes of the Ramayana epic, devoted to Rama. The monkey god embodies the warrior of strength, a model of fortitude and power. When depicted alone, he always carries a weapon—a mace or vajra—a divine weapon combining sword, spear, and mace.