344
A BRONZE MUKHALINGA, India, Maharashtra, 19th century
h cm 12
Head of Shiva with a rounded shape flaring at the base, designed to be placed on a stone linga (phallus), a symbol of the god. It features large earrings and a pendant-container around the neck with a small linga inside, which was worn by Shiva devotees from this region.
Literature: “Mukhalinga, the Countenance of the Hero-God,” Arts of Asia, 1984.