Indian Iron Tantric Lingam

A cap of wine red settles over the crown of this polished stone.

This tantric lingam from India is quartz crystal with iron oxide inclusions, and its age is indeterminate. Among Hindus, especially those who follow Shiva, such stones are regarded as natural forms of the divine, and tantric practice places them at the center of meditation and ritual. Thin ochre lines edge the red like a coastline on a map. A small separate patch of the same color sits on one side, and the lower body turns olive and brown. It stands 9 inches high and measures 7.25 across.

It rests, and lets you do the thinking.