Mukhalinga Southern Cambodia or Southern Vietnam,... Lot 104

Mukhalinga Southern Cambodia or Southern Vietnam, ca. 7-8th century Sandstone. Height 85 cm This representation of the god Shiva through his phallic symbol (linga) attests to the importance of the cult of this god in the ancient kingdoms of the region (Funan and ancient principalities grouped under the generic term of Chenla). The cult and iconography of the linga are based on the myth of its origin (lingodbhava), which positions Shiva as the supreme god of the Hindu trinity, relegating Brahma and Vishnu to a secondary rank. Partially concealed in the Yoni symbolizing the vulva of the great goddess that encloses it, the structure of the linga is usually tripartite. The quadrangular lower part, hidden in the pedestal, is said to be associated with Brahma. He is thus positioned at the root of the linga. The central octagonal section, enclosed by the yoni, the source of creation, would be associated with Vishnu. The circular upper third, the only one to emerge from the yoni and thus visible, is of course associated with Shiva the victorious and supreme creator. "At the root is Brahma, in the centre Vishnu, lord of the three worlds. Above him rises the proud Rudra, the Great God, the Eternal Dispenser of Peace whose name is the magic syllable AUM.The altar of the phallus is the Goddess-Grade.The phallus itself is the true God" Linga Purâna, 1, 73, 19-20) The variations in the proportions of these three parts would be associated with the categories of people associated with the various aspects of the cult. The geometric treatment of the lower two thirds contrasts with the naturalism of the upper part, which clearly shows an acorn and the net at the base of which is carved in slight relief a head of the god Shiva. Note that the god's yogi bun seems to merge with the net to rise to the top of the sculpture. Most of the mukhalinga of the same typology recorded to date seem to come from the areas of southern Cambodia and the Mekong delta in Vietnam, as attested by the one discovered at Wat Po Metrey (Ta Keo) in Cambodia, now preserved in the Phnom Penh Museum (inv. 1622 (Groslier C.118, Boisselier B.41.8), or the one discovered in Oc-èo, now preserved in the Ho Chi Minh City Museum (inv.BTLS 5532). They seem to have existed in the region only during the early stages of the formation of Khmer art. They are clearly inspired by Indian models developed under the Kushan and Gupta empires, even if the proportions and high relief projection of the faces were more important in India. However, Louis Malleret published in his fundamental work "L'archéologie du delta du Mékong" Tome Premier, Maisonneuve Paris 1959 Pl.LXXXI c an upper fragment of Linga discovered at N. T.Pok Tahô presenting a bust of Shiva in very high relief closer to the Indian archetypes. A few accidents and visible fillings. Provenance : - French private collection