Indian Mukha or Face Lingam / Cover

Calm, many-faced head perches on a flared pedestal like a tiny lighthouse.

This mukha or face lingam cover is from India, and dates to the 20th century. It is brass. In Hindu practice the lingam is a symbol of Shiva, and a face added to it, called a mukha, gives the god a visible presence in the worship space. Cast figure with a tall tiered crown and a serene face flanked by smaller side faces. Below the neck, a rounded collar sits on a ringed stem and a wide flaring bell-shaped base. The metal is dark and aged with a worn, rubbed shine. It is 4.25 inches high and 2 in diameter.

Plenty of faces, and every one of them composed.