Linga Altar with Four Faces of Shiva, Thakuri period, dated 1045, Nepal (Kathmandu Valley), Copper alloy, H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm

---

Linga Altar with Four Faces of Shiva, Thakuri period, dated 1045, Nepal (Kathmandu Valley), Copper alloy, H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm); L. 7 in. ( cm); Diam. of base 5 in. ( cm); Wt. 15 lbs ( kg), Metalwork, Shiva linga are variously represented as an unadorned pillar or with one, four, or five heads of Shiva. This linga altar has a four-faced form (chaturmukha). It is banded, likely with munja grass holy to Shiva, alluding to the taming of Shiva’s phallic energies through his supreme asceticism achieved by yogic practices (tapas

---

Size: 3992px × 4697px
Photo credit: © Artokoloro / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -faced, 1/2, 5, , 7, 14, 15, , 1045, achieved, alloy, alluding, altar, asceticism, banded, base, chaturmukha, cm, copper, dated, diam, energies, faces, form, grass, heads, holy, kathmandu, kg, lbs, linga, metalwork, munja, nepal, period, phallic, pillar, practices, represented, shiva, supreme, taming, tapas, thakuri, unadorned, valley, variously, wt, yogic