Tantric Lingams

Quartz crystal, polished smooth, cradled in a ring of iron. Tantric lingams here are crystal and iron Shiva lingams from the Narmada River region of Madhya Pradesh, India. The lingam is the aniconic form of Shiva, a presence shown without face or figure, and has been central to Hindu worship for many centuries. The Narmada is one of India’s sacred rivers, and stones from its bed have long been valued for lingams.

Each piece pairs a quartz crystal with an iron mount, and no two sit quite alike in size, clarity or the shape of the iron. In Hindu homes a lingam is often bathed with water or milk and offered flowers. Others keep one as an object for meditation, or simply as quiet sculpture. Set one on a small altar, a desk or a windowsill where morning light can pass through the crystal. Crystal and iron, holding perfectly still.