Deccan Mukhalinga

This is a Deccan hollow cast brass mukhalinga with base. A mukhalinga is a covering used to give a face or iconic form to the abstract Shiva lingam. The base unscrews allowing the linga to be encased inside. This piece is a depiction of one of the forms of Shiva, the moustached warrior Vīrabhadra, also known as Veerabadhra, Veerabathira, or Veerabathiran, who is a fierce and fearsome form of the God Shiva. In the center of his forehead is a third eye, the symbol of Shiva’s destructive force. The mukhalinga also has earpieces in the form of rearing cobras (snakes), and a neck adornment in the form of a Lingayat box pendant.