A SUPERB INDIAN STONE LINGAM, LATE 19TH - EARLY 20TH CENTURY Deemed the purest embodiment of Shiva, the lingam serves as the primary emblem of worship for this Hindu deity. Its aniconic form symbolizes a phallus or a pillar of light. Self-manifested or svayambhu lingas are spawned in the bed of the sacred Narmada River in Western India. Occurring through natural rock formations and erosions, ovoid boulders such as the present lot are considered remarkably propitious.

Provenance: From a private collection in southern Germany, mostly assembled between the 1960s and 1980s.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear.

Dimensions: Height 50 cm (excl. stand)

With a modern wood stand. (2)

Auction result comparison: Compare a related stone lingam, 129.5 cm high, at Sotheby’s New York in Indian & Southeast Asian Works of Art on 19 March 2014, lot 21, sold for USD 17,500. A related stone brahmanda, 46 cm high, dated to the 19^th century, with a matching bronze tripod stand, was sold in these rooms in Fine Chinese Art, Buddhism & Hinduism on 6 March 2021, lot 748, sold for EUR 16,432.