Indian Iron Tantric Lingam

Matte black with a small pale gleam on its crown.

This tantric lingam is from Narmada River, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is quartz crystal & iron. Dams planned along the Narmada since the 1940s have steadily removed the dry season that harvesting depends on, so gathering genuine lingams from the riverbed has become close to impossible. Compact, rounded oval in deep charcoal, lightly scuffed with faint pale scratches. The surface is even and smooth, with a soft highlight on the upper face. The contour swells gently through the middle. It is 7 inches high and 4.25 in diameter.

Dark, plain, and perfectly composed.