Indonesian Lingam with Sanskrit Inscription, Based

A plain stone dome, and low on the shaft, a short inscription in raised characters.

This lingam with Sanskrit inscription comes from Java, Banyuwangi, Indonesia, and is carved Batugilan stone, set on a base. The lingam is a central aniconic emblem of Shiva in Hindu worship, and stone lingams were widely made across the Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms of Java. The tall rounded shaft is weathered and pitted, warm gray with patches of ochre. Near its foot, a small raised panel carries a few carved characters. The shaft rises from a stepped square plinth cut from the same rough stone. It is 13.75 inches wide and 28 high.

Simplicity itself, with a few words added for the record.