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Source Description
The four outer figures on each side are kings of the primary and intermediate directions of the compass. The white shaft at the center is a four-faced linga, or "sign," of the god Shiva. Paying homage to the linga are the creator-god Brahma and his spouse on the left, and Vishnu and his spouse on the right. Shiva created a shaft, a cosmic pillar, so tall that Brahma could not reach its top and Vishnu could not find its bottom. Shiva, demonstrating his supremacy, then appeared in the pillar.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
37201
label
Cover of a Shaiva Manuscript
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
37201
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Cover of a Shaiva Manuscript
description
The four outer figures on each side are kings of the primary and intermediate directions of the compass. The white shaft at the center is a four-faced linga, or "sign," of the god Shiva. Paying homage to the linga are the creator-god Brahma and his spouse on the left, and Vishnu and his spouse on the right. Shiva created a shaft, a cosmic pillar, so tall that Brahma could not reach its top and Vishnu could not find its bottom. Shiva, demonstrating his supremacy, then appeared in the pillar.
provenance
Lama Gallery, Bombay, India; John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore, January 18, 1969, by purchase.
date
11th century
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Manuscripts & Rare Books
manuscript covers
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
57.2
height
4.5
depth
1.2
dimensionsRaw
Wooded section L: 22 1/2 × W: 1 3/4 × D: 1/2 in. (57.2 × 4.5 × 1.2 cm); Metal section L: 22 5/8 × W: 2 3/16 × D: 11/16 in. (57.5 × 5.5 × 1.8 cm)
Source extras
med
wood with pigments and gilded metal
creator_ids
15526
collection_ids
INT
exhibition_ids
2071
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
ecc6056ed05564c1