INDIA, 19TH CENTURY

Linga, meaning 'sign', is Shiva's phallic emblem of potency and generative power. It is the supreme abstract representation of the god, the focus of worship in a Shiva temple, where it rests on a rectangular base with a spout to the side to drain the liquids that are used to annoint it. It is symbolic of the combination of body and mind, the embodiment of the five elements, the five senses, the principles of essence and substance, and represents the cosmic pillar that connects heaven and earth. From the basic phallic shape, more elaborate forms include one face or four faces projecting from around the sides as manifestations of the god, representing the four cardinal directions and the center, as well as the five elements.