457 - SHIVA LINGAM IN YONI PEDESTAL ,KASHMIR, 12TH CENTURY

SHIVA LINGAM IN YONI PEDESTAL ,KASHMIR, 12TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 13 cm Wide 12 cm Depth 14 cm Weight: 2458 grams Carved from dark grey stone, the compact shrine consists of a smooth cylindrical lingam rising from a square, tiered yoni pedestal with a projecting drainage spout. The contrast between the rounded, highly restrained central form and the sharply stepped architectural base gives the object a particularly clear and powerful silhouette. Wear and small surface abrasions are consistent with prolonged handling and ritual use. The lingam is the aniconic emblem of Shiva, while the surrounding yoni embodies the generative power of the goddess, or Shakti. Their union is among the most fundamental images of Shaivite worship, expressing creation and the inseparability of complementary divine principles. Such objects were intended for ritual bathing and anointing, with liquids flowing away through the projecting channel. Rather than relying on figural detail, the sculpture achieves its presence through mass, polished surface and the carefully ordered transition from square pedestal to rounded sacred form.