Shiva Linga

7th–8th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 245

Shiva can be worshipped in innumerable forms, both natural and man-made. These forms can range from small river-washed stones (banalinga) to mountaintops that are deemed to display a linga-like profile (lingaparvata). In Southeast Asia, a distinctive conical linga with square shaft, unlike any Indian forms, appears from about the sixth century onward. The greatest concentration of examples of this type is found in peninsular Thailand, though their distribution is far wider, extending east to Borneo and Bali.

cat. no. 81

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Shiva Linga
Date: 7th–8th century
Culture: Southern Thailand
Medium: Sandstone
Dimensions: H. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm); W. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm); D. 6 in. (15.2 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Gift of Steven Kossak, The Kronos Collections, 1992
Object Number: 1992.150.3
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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