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Lot Essay
This large linga is the form of panchamukhalinga, five-headed Shiva. The four faces protruding from the sides are directed in the cardinal directions, representing different aspects of the deity, the ferocious Bhairava (south), Nandin with a lion crown (west), Tamreshvara with floral and serpent earrings (north), Mahadeva with matted hairstyle (east), all bearing rosaries and a bottle with the elixir of immortality. The fifth, representing the absolute, is generally not shown, but is here represented by a rock crystal inset cabochon.