A brass Shiva lingam cover

India, Maharashtra, 18th century

28 in. (71.12 cm.) high

This commanding brass repousse sculpture is designed to protect the phallic symbol of Shiva known as a ‘lingam.’ Shiva’s head is sheltered by his snake Vasuki, the serpent king who played an essential role in the Hindu origin story known as the Churning of the Milky Ocean. The dangerous animal, which he often dons around his neck, is representative of Shiva’s unshakable power.

This fine brass repoussé representation of Shiva sheltered by Vasuiki once protected an aniconic symbol of the powerful deity in the form of a cylindrical pillar—likely a much earlier image made of stone. Such a cover, known as a kosa in Sanskrit prevents decay caused by ritual bathing of the Shiva lingam. The present example, from Maharasthra bears a very close resemblance to an example our gallery gifted to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (accession no. 1995.220.1).