Linga Cover with Four Faces of Shiva (Caturmukhalinga)
Unknown Artist
15th century
Medium
Copper alloy
Dimensions
H. 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm); W. 6 13/16 in. (17.3 cm)
Classification
Metalwork
Culture
Nepal (Kathmandu Valley)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Anonymous Gift, 1986
Accession Number
1986.509.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art collection, this exquisite 15th-century copper alloy Linga Cover with Four Faces of Shiva, or *Caturmukhalinga*, hails from Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. Measuring just 5 3/8 inches high and 6 13/16 inches wide, this compact metalwork masterpiece was crafted as a protective dome for a Shiva linga—a sacred, abstract symbol of the Hindu god Shiva's creative energy. Donated anonymously in 198, it exemplifies the valley's renowned tradition of fine bronze casting during the Malla dynasty era. The four intricately carved faces represent Shiva's *ca...