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Shiva Linga

5th–6th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Shiva is represented most commonly in his aniconic form—as a linga, a shaft of stone that, to varying degrees, assumes the features of a phallus. In the beginning, Shiva was evoked through the worship of naturally occurring objects or landforms acknowledged as a linga. This large stone linga is one of many found at Oc Eo in the Mekong Delta, indicating the locale’s strong Shaiva affiliations. It was discovered in association with the fired-brick and riverstone foundations of what was likely an open pavilion shrine. By the seventh century, lingas were installed in enclosed brick sanctuaries in keeping with Zhenla architectural practices.

cat. no. 80

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Shiva Linga
  • Date: 5th–6th century
  • Culture: Southern Vietnam
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H.( incl. tenon) 65 1/2 in. (166.4 cm); Diam. 12 5/8 in. (32 cm); Tenon/Tang: H. 23 5/8 in. (60 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by National Museum of Vietnamese History, Ho Chi Minh City (BTLS 5957)
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art