Linga Cover with Four Faces of Shiva (Caturmukhalinga)
Not on view
Metal linga covers (kosha; literally, "sheath") have played a part in the worship of the Hindu deity Shiva since antiquity. The four faces of Shiva on this cover, each pointing toward a cardinal direction, evoke different aspects of the deity. This type of cover is sometimes described as a five-faced linga (ekhamukhalinga); the fifth face is understood rather than represented and thought to be facing skyward.
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