Old silver pendant necklace, used as a lingam casket box. These pendants were designed as containers to hold a sacred lingam stone representing the god Shiva.
Lingayats are a Hindu group who believe that Shiva is the only deity, rather than the 3 gods revered by other Hindus. They also believed that the sacred presence of Shiva was not simply confined to the temple, but that it could be held in these pendants for a personal connection to the god. You can see similar samples in “Traditional Jewelry of India” by Oppi Untracht, page133.
This is an original and worn piece, in excellent condition, from the 19th Century.
Provenance: Ex- Michael Backman Gallery
The size of the pendant is 61 mm wide by 41 mm high. The chain is 73 cm long approx. (28,74 in).
It weighs 80 gr.
For more information about this fascinating pieces, please see my post on Indian lingam box caskets.
IND1151
