A STONE LINGA WITH THE FACE OF SHIVA, EKMUKHALINGA India, Mathura, style of the Kushana period The front of the cylinder with the face of Shiva in accentuated high relief, mustache, long hair knotted at the top in the style of the ascetics (jatamakuta) and a necklace (rudraksa mala) in the lower area, in the center of the forehead the third eye. 80 cm high Provenance: Italian private collection. The linga - literally "sign" - is the main iconographic manifestation of Shiva. Phallic in shape, it represents the primordial creation. Since its first appearances in the first century BC, the linga with the face of Shiva (ekmukhalinga) has been characterized by peculiarities that are clearly visible also in this example.