Lot 229

Indian Stone Shiva Lingam - Naturally Polished Narmada Ovoid

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Lot 229
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Indian Stone Shiva Lingam - Naturally Polished Narmada Ovoid
Indian Stone Shiva Lingam - Naturally Polished Narmada Ovoid
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Indian Stone Shiva Lingam - Naturally Polished Narmada Ovoid

Estimate: $600 - $900

Starting Bid: $250

(0 Bids)
by Artemis Fine Arts
August 7, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

South Asia, India, Hindu tradition. A smooth ovoid of dark cryptocrystalline stone, its surface burnished to a soft sheen by the relentless current of the Narmada River. Egg-shaped and dense, the form embodies the lingam, the aniconic emblem of the god Shiva and one of Hinduism's most enduring sacred symbols. River-tumbled rather than carved, such stones are gathered from the Narmada's bed in central India, where geology and devotion converge: nature itself shapes the object of worship. Faint mineral flecks and pale veining ripple across the charcoal ground, evidence of the basaltic matrix and its long journey downstream. Venerated on home altars and in temples alike, the lingam is anointed with water, milk, and offerings, its rounded mass understood as a focus of cosmic energy and the formless presence of the divine. Size: 3" D x 5.8" H (7.6 cm D x 14.7 cm H).

Narmada lingams (banalingam) hold special status in Hindu practice: the Narmada is one of India's seven sacred rivers, and stones drawn from its bed are considered self-manifested (svayambhu), requiring no consecration before worship. The dark stone, often a chert or basaltic jasper, is shaped solely by water over millennia, so each example is unique in its mottling and proportion. In ritual the lingam typically rests within a yoni base, the paired symbols expressing the union of Shiva and Shakti, the generative principle underlying creation.

Provenance: ex-private collection, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, USA, collected from 2010 to 2015

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Item # 198353

  • Condition: Intact and excellent with smooth surfaces.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000