INDIA, MAHARASHTRA, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

Coming principally from the regions of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and bordering parts of Rajasthan, lingam covers were created to protect the phallic representation of the Hindu god Shiva. The stone lingam is carved in a cylindrical form with a rounded top, and with the addition of a face (mukha), it becomes a personified symbol of creation. The lingam cover is believed to provide protection for worshippers, as viewing the naked lingam directly could be harmful. A naga-hood embellished with cobras, rising from behind a mukha-linga serves to emphasize the progenitive power of the god Shiva, as in lot 247. See L.S. Figiel, Ritual Bronzes of Maharashtra and Karnataka, 2007, pp. 40-49, for related examples.