Bronze Shiva Mukhalinga From Karnataka - Ca 1950 Seating Families often kept separate chests

Families often kept separate chests for summer and winter garments

Kutch and Gujarat and are becoming increasingly difficult to find

but as the provenance states this is of a good age

The simple multicoloured repeating motif around the edge of the mirror gives this piece a unique character

96 x 157 cm approx

Bronze Shiva Mukhalinga From Karnataka - Ca 1950 Seating Families often kept separate chestsThis old bronze head of Shiva is a mukhalinga, literally translating to 'lingam with a face'. This one dates to the 1950's. Lingams are phallic eggs and the non representational form of Shiva, one of the three most prominent gods of Hinduism. Shiva is The Destroyer who demolishes in order for the world to be created anew. Originally mukhalingas were carved stone lingam, however in the 18th century, they came to be covers for lingam stones, believed to