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Ganesha (also Ganesh) has become more popular in the last century, especially in the West. He is the Hindu god with an ELEPHANT head known as the remover of obstacles. It is difficult to think of a more apt figure for overcoming obstacles since his elephant head came about as a result of an early accidental death at the hands of his father, SHIVA. who, realizing his mistake, took the head of a passing elephant and breathed life back into the boy. Like many images in Hindu or Buddhist art, almost every feature of Ganesha has some symbolic content and meaning.

The number of arms that he has may vary from one portrait to another, but typically one hand is held in a pose of protection and refuge, the second holds a sweet food symbolic of the sweetness of the realized inner self, the third holds an elephant goad with which to prod man to the path of righteousness, and the fourth holds a noose to represent worldly attachments and desires. His potbelly symbolizes the bounty of nature and also the idea that Ganesha swallows the sorrows of the universe and protects the world. Tattoos of Ganesha are many times as ornate as the religious artwork on which they are based (portraits or statues), although occasionally they can also be simple blackwork.

Gargoyles were originally architectural elements. They began as waterspouts, designed to funnel rain away from a building by spouting it out the mouth of a forward projecting carved creature. Made famous in the European Middle Ages on the exterior of lofty cathedrals, these mythic animals were usually grotesque BIRDS or beasts, and were thought to ward off evil. Tattoo artwork today will occasionally allude to the functional origins of the gargoyle, using finely shaded blackwork that simulates the look of carved stone.

A garland combines the symbolism of both FLOWERS and the CIRCLE. They are used in tattoos to encircle arms, wrists, ankles, and even navels. Although certain flowers have definite symbolic associations, a garland generally stands for such positive aspects as good luck and fertility and even the union of this world and the next.

The gas mask, a device worn over the face and head to protect the wearer against harmful substances in the air, came about at the same time as, and hand in hand with, the introduction of chemical weapons in World War I. It has since become a symbol of the threat of both biological and chemical weapons, the destruction of the environment, and the extreme measures to which humans will go in warfare. Typically done in shades of green and yellow, the tattoo can also represent danger due to the presence of a toxic substance (in the same vein as the BIOHAZARD tattoo) and be a warning to whoever might see it.

Gears, cogs, and wheels at one time symbolized the industrial age and mechanization. In the form of a tattoo, though, it might represent a person's hobby or line of work. In addition, it also carries somewhat the sense of the BIOMECHANICAL style of tattoo and the human role in an age of machines.

Gecko LIZARDS appear in virtually all warm areas of the globe and so are part of the symbolism of many cultures. Almost unanimously, the gecko is a symbol of good luck from Guam to the American Southwest. Perhaps owing to their nonpoisonous nature, the chirping sound that most gecko species make, or the typical lizard tail that grows back when broken, they are sometimes also symbolic of the ability of life to regenerate.