Rare Antiquities & Ancient Artifacts

Description

Shiva Lingam – India
Measures approx. 3″ long and 4 1/2″ circumference
The Shiva Lingam meaning “mark” or “sign” is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples. The origins and interpretations of the Lingam are a subject of intense debate. According to one tradition, the Lingam represents the beginning-less and end-less Stambha pillar, suggesting the infinite nature of Shiva. Another theory suggests that the Lingam is a symbol of male creative energy or of the phallus.

The Lingam is often represented with the Yoni, a symbol of the goddess or of female creative energy. The union represents the “indivisible two-in-oneness of male and female, the passive space and active time from which all life originates”