Lot Essay
This fine and rare polished example is the phallic emblem of Shiva with a face of Shiva emerging from the octagonal mid-section. At the same time it also represents an abstract symbol of the Hindu trinity with Brahma (the creator) standing for the square base, Vishnu (the preserver) for the mid-section and the domed top for Shiva, the destroyer but at the same time creator. In Indian philosophy it is furthermore symbolic of a cosmic pillar that connects heaven and earth. A comparable large, Pre Angkor linga is published by N. Dalsheimer, Les collections du Musée National de Phnom Penh, Ecole Francaise d'Extrême-Orient, Paris 2001, pl. 31.
Compare with a very similar ekamukhalinga sold in our New York Rooms, 25 March 2004, lot 153.
Compare with a very similar ekamukhalinga sold in our New York Rooms, 25 March 2004, lot 153.