Indian Iron Tantric Lingam

Long, slim, and shadowed, this black oval stands like a patient candle without a flame.

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. Standing as a tall, tapering oval in smooth charcoal black. Soft highlights gather at the upper curve, and the surface shows a faint velvety bloom with a few pale marks near the lower right. A slim black ring supports the base. It is 14.25 inches high and 7.75 in diameter.

Quiet verticality, kept with admirable discipline.