{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O25005"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O25005/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AP8779/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AP8779/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AP8779","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O25005/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O25005","accessionNumber":"IS.10-1969","objectType":"Sculpture","titles":[{"title":"Shiva Ekamukhalinga","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Shiva has many manifestations, but is worshipped principally, and primarily, in his linga or phallus form symbolising his primordial power of creation. From the earliest period of the appearance of Shiva in the linga form, around the 1st century BCE at Aghapur and Gudimallam, the linga shaft addorsed with Shiva in anthropomorphic form was established as the dominant linga-type of the early period. In this representation the head of Shiva, with the third eye clearly visible, emerges from the shaft of the linga. Shiva is moustached, and wears a rudraksa mala necklace, made from the stones of the fruit of a tree holy to Shiva. He wears his uncut hair piled high (jatamakuta) in the style of a yogic ascetic; further locks of hair cascade down behind his ears. A linga of this scale could have been worshipped as the cult image of a Saivite temple, of which few survive intact from the Gupta period. The distinctive pink sandstone suggests that it originated in the region of Mathura. \r\n\r\nRepresentations of a deity emerging from a tree trunk occur in Sunga and Satavahana art of the 1st century BCE, embodying shared concepts of the divine in nature, and of the manifestation of the god-head in anthropomorphic form. The symbolism of the tree-post-pillar as devices linking the (mundane) earth and (heavenly) sky were widespread in early religious thinking in India and may be assumed to have contributed to the pillar, with or without explicit phallic overtones, becoming a central motif. The linga, which literally means \"sign\", became the most powerful icon of Shva, to which all others are subsidiary.","physicalDescription":"The single-faced lingam(ekhamukhalinga) is an icon of Shiva. In this representation the head of Shiva, with the third eye clearly visible, emerges from the  cylindrical linga. He is moustached and wears his uncut hair in the style of an ascetic with matted tresses pulled up from the front of his head and tied into a bun on top with other tresses hanging down behind his distended ears.  A necklace of large beads hangs below his neck on the lingam emerging from under his ears. A lingam of this scale could have been worshipped as the cult image of a Shaivite temple, of which few survive intact from the Gupta period.  The nose and left ear have suffered some damage.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Sandstone","categories":[{"text":"Hinduism","id":"THES48941"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"}],"styles":[{"text":"Gupta period","id":"x32247"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006AP8779"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"BY004","id":"THES404145"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Figure","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Mathura","id":"x34788"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"Early 5th century","earliest":"0400-01-01","latest":"0450-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"66.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"17/01/2024","earliest":"2024-01-17","latest":"2024-01-17"},"part":"height of object, including modern fill at base of object","note":"The modern fill was applied where the bottom of the object meets the modern base, the bottom of the object being uneven. The fill only adds a small amount to the object's height but it is not possible to measure exactly how much."},{"dimension":"Width","value":"21.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"17/01/2024","earliest":"2024-01-17","latest":"2024-01-17"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"34.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"17/01/2024","earliest":"2024-01-17","latest":"2024-01-17"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"82","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"17/01/2024","earliest":"2024-01-17","latest":"2024-01-17"},"part":"height of object on modern mount","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"33","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"17/01/2024","earliest":"2024-01-17","latest":"2024-01-17"},"part":"width of modern base","note":"the modern base is considerably wider than the object"},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"33","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"17/01/2024","earliest":"2024-01-17","latest":"2024-01-17"},"part":"depth of modern base","note":"modern base is deeper than the object"},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"90","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"11/02/2025","earliest":"2025-02-11","latest":"2025-02-11"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Bought from Spink & Son","historicalContext":" Shiva is most popularly worshipped in his linga or phallus form symbolizing his primordial power of creation.  A linga of this scale could have been worshipped as the cult image of a Shaivite temple, of which few survive intact from the Gupta period.","briefDescription":"Shiva Ekamukhalinga, sandstone, Mathura, north India, early 5th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"G Kreisel, 1980, Die Siva-Bildwerke Der Matura-Kinst,\r\nMarg XIII No 4, p47, fig 20 \r\nLalitkala No.9, 1961, pl.VII\r\nGuy, John: 'Indian Temple Sculpture', London, V & A Publication, 2007, p.141, pl.157.\r\nISBN 9781851775095.\r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"Ayers, J. Oriental Art in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London 1983, ISBN 0-85667-120-7","id":"AUTH347571"},"details":"p. 60","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"L'escultura en el temples indis : l'art de la devoció : exposició organitzada per la Fundació \"La Caixa\" i el Victoria & Albert Museum, Londres. [Barcelona: Obra social, Fundació \"la Caixa\", c2007 Number: 9788476649466","id":"AUTH339669"},"details":"p.98, Cat.49","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Jansari, S. and Muthukumaran S., <i>Ancient India: Living Traditions</i>, London: The British Museum Press, 2025","id":"AUTH410830"},"details":"pp. 164-165, Fig. 4.7","free":""}],"production":"Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, north India","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Hinduism","id":"AAT73727"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Shiva Ekamukhalinga\r\n\r\nAbout 400–50 \r\nGupta period \r\n\r\n\r\nShiva is another of the most important Hindu deities. He is \r\nprimarily worshipped in the linga, or phallus, form that symbolises \r\nhis primordial power of creation. In this representation the head of \r\nShiva emerges from the linga. He has the uncut hair of an ascetic,\r\nand his third eye is clearly visible.The linga could have been the \r\ncentral cult image of a Shaivite temple. \r\n\r\nSandstone \r\nNorthern India (Mathura region, Uttar Pradesh) \r\n\r\n\r\nMuseum no. IS.10-1969 \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","date":{"text":"06/06/2011","earliest":"2011-06-06","latest":"2011-06-06"}},{"text":"SHIVA EKAMUKHALINGA\r\nSandstone\r\nMathura region, Uttar Pradesh, North India\r\nGupta period, circa 400 A.D.\r\n\r\nShiva is most popularly worshipped in his linga or phallus form symbolizing his primordial power of creation. In this representation the head of Shiva, with the third eye clearly visible, emerges from the linga. Shiva is moustached and wears his uncut hair in the style of an ascetic. A linga of this scale could have been worshipped as the cult image of a Saivite temple, of which few survive intact from the Gupta period.\r\n\r\nIS 10-1969","date":{"text":"1988","earliest":"1988-01-01","latest":"1988-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["IS.10-1969"],"accessionNumberNum":"10","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1969,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2025PD5501","2025PD2939","2019LM9960","2019LN4823","2019LT6893","2019LT9838"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-26","recordCreationDate":"2000-02-13","availableToBook":false}}