Ekamukhalinga are linga represented with a single anthropomorphic image of Shiva. The linga is a phallic symbol representing the regenerative force of this god. Although Shiva is known as the destroyer, he manifests the divine trinity in his form as the linga. As described in the Lingapurana, the square is symbolic of Brahma, the creator, the octagon represents Vishnu, the protector, and the cylindrical top represents Shiva.
Details
- Title: Ekamukhalinga
- Date: c. 700
- Medium: Sandstone
- Dimensions: 14-1/4 x 4-3/8 x 4-3/8 in. (36.2 x 11.1 x 11.1 cm)
- Credit Line: Norton Simon Art Foundation, from the Estate of Jennifer Jones Simon
- Accession Number: M.2010.1.202.S
- Copyright: © Norton Simon Art Foundation
Object Information
- Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 3: Art from Sri Lanka & Southeast Asia, 2004, fig. 4, no. 129 pp. 105, 167, 173-174
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 1622 p. 428
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