See It In Your Home
Cast in brass, this artifact has a rare and mystic Tantrika look, and represents Lord Shiva as ‘Ling’ – his aniconic form. Shiva’s both forms, the aniconic ‘ling’ and his iconic image, one symbolising his unmanifest form, and the other, anthropomorphic, have been in prevalence since the Indus days.
There figures among the excavated material from various Indus sites are terracotta icons of votive ‘ling’ and ‘yoni’ as well as terracotta seals with a ‘Yogi’ figure with soiled coiffure engaged in penance cast on them.
Such figures, with a number of animals, especially a bull, around, are almost unanimously identified as Pashupati, patron of animals – Shiva’s other most prominent name. Shiva’s personalised form portrays an act or an aspect of his being, as Mahayogi form in Indus seals, but ‘ling’ is symbolic of his formless timeless existence out of which all forms evolve, and hence, ‘ling’ is essentially Shiva’s votive form.
Its antique appearance and medieval modelling apart, a simple Shiva-ling icon, it has an unusual form. The proper Shiva-ling form : a ‘ling’ icon enshrining ‘yoni’, has been installed on a lotus raised over a circular two-tiered pedestal for giving it proper height perspective. Lotus is essentially an element of Vaishnava iconography rarely seen with Shiva’s form, not even as part of the offering made during a ritual worship. In Vaishnava iconography, as well as otherwise, lotus is symbolic of three cosmic zones : ocean, earth and sky.
Here in this icon, with dark zones alternating the bright, symbolic of day and night, lotus symbolises time which Shiva as ‘ling’ pervades. Its modelling too has a distinction of its own. Compared to its female component – yoni-part, the male counterpart is tinier in size; however, a prominently delineated ‘Tripunda’ mark and three snakes with upraised hoods crowning it afford it a sense of proportion. In a rare innovative manoeuvring the artist has used the forms of two of the three snakes for defining the peripheral elevation of the ‘yoni’, while the third he has used around the root of the ‘ling’ covering the joint.
This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.
How to keep a Brass statue well-maintained?
Brass statues are known and appreciated for their exquisite beauty and luster. The brilliant bright gold appearance of Brass makes it appropriate for casting aesthetic statues and sculptures. Brass is a metal alloy composed mainly of copper and zinc. This chemical composition makes brass a highly durable and corrosion-resistant material. Due to these properties, Brass statues and sculptures can be kept both indoors as well as outdoors. They also last for many decades without losing all their natural shine.
Brass statues can withstand even harsh weather conditions very well due to their corrosion-resistance properties. However, maintaining the luster and natural beauty of brass statues is essential if you want to prolong their life and appearance.
In case you have a colored brass statue, you may apply mustard oil using a soft brush or clean cloth on the brass portion while for the colored portion of the statue, you may use coconut oil with a cotton cloth.
Brass idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are especially known for their intricate and detailed work of art. Nepalese sculptures are famous for small brass idols portraying Buddhist deities. These sculptures are beautified with gold gilding and inlay of precious or semi-precious stones. Religious brass statues can be kept at home altars. You can keep a decorative brass statue in your garden or roof to embellish the area and fill it with divinity.
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