Indian Iron Tantric Lingam

Gold-ochre swirls with a maroon outline wander across pale gray like a river map.

This tantric lingam is from Narmada River, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is quartz crystal & iron. The word Tantric is Sanskrit for to expand, and Tantra is described as a form of religious practice combining ritual, art, science and philosophy, overlaid on Hinduism and Buddhism. Rising tall and glossy, this oval has a pale gray-lilac ground. A big meandering golden-yellow shape, outlined in maroon, snakes down the front and splits into a second ragged patch near the foot. It is 13 inches high and 6.5 in diameter.

Cartography by an artist with a lot of patience.