ClassificationsAsian Art

Shiva Linga with Four Faces

Place CreatedNepal, Asia

CultureNepal

Date12th-13th Century

MediumGray schist

Credit LineThe Ester R. Portnow Collection of Asian Art, a gift of the Nathan Rubin-Ida Ladd Family Foundation

Dimensions12 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (31.8 x 24.1 x 24.1 cm)

Object number2001.001.005

Label TextThe linga, a Sanskrit term which means “sign or mark”, is a columnar form associated with Shiva. This stone linga is carved with four faces that represent different aspects of Shiva, the cardinal directions, and the elements. Each face is marked with Shiva’s third eye and topped with a crown. Some of the hands under the faces are broken, but where visible, the right hand holds a rosary and the left one a water pot. A fifth face, Sadashiva, is implied by the rounded top of the linga directed upward and represents Shiva’s formless aspect.

The faces and their associations are:
Mahadeva (Great God) – Earth, East
Ardhanarishvara (The Lord who is Half Woman) – Water, North
Bhairava (Fearsome One) – Fire, South
Nandin (Rejoicing One) – Air, West
Sadashiva (Eternal Shiva) – Sky, Upward

The face that is half man and half woman (Ardhanarishvara) is identified by two different styles of earrings and hairstyles, female on the left and male on the right.

The residue of color on the linga may be traces of vermillion offerings. Other traditional offerings to a linga are flowers, milk, and water.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, September 2004 - April 4, 2021
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, August 28, 2021 - Present
Published ReferencesSotheby's New York, Indian and Southeast Asian Art (March 23, 2000), lot 31.

ProvenancePurchased for MCCM by Robert Walzer [Nathan Rubin - Ida Ladd Family Foundation], Georgetown, Connecticut, from Sotheby's New York, Sale 7447, March 23, 2000, lot 31.

Status

On view

Collections