Shiva

Our website presents a unique Indian ivory sculpture with a very special plot, full of many details that require special comment.
This is a sculpture called "Shiva Parivar" (lot 4102). Shiva ("bringer of happiness") in ancient Indian Hindu mythology is one of the three supreme gods (along with Vishnu and Brahma) who form a divine triad like the Holy Trinity of Christianity. Shiva also represents the higher cosmic consciousness and static masculinity of the universe, which together with the opposite dynamic feminine beginning (Prakriti) creates the harmony of the universe.
In ancient Indian culture, Shiva was worshipped as the god of dance and often presented as a dancer. The great Shiva is a multi-armed "dancing universe" god, traditionally represented with a number of invariable attributes, and our sculpture features the most important of these: The trident symbolizes three stages in the evolution of the world (creation, maintenance and destruction), three times (past, present and future), a symbol of action, knowledge, awakening; cobra wrapped around the neck - past, present and future at a given moment; snakes on hands and feet in the form of bracelets - control of internal energies; a symbol of wisdom and eternity; fruit beads from evergreen trees - compassion and pain towards people ; The triple line of sacred ashes on the forehead - false self-knowledge; the tiger's skin on the hips - victory over lust; the loop of the arkan - the symbol of Shiva's power over every living soul; wine - the musical instrument in the form of the lute, signifying the understanding of harmony; the arrow to control the elephant - the image of the "means to the end"; the seeds of the blue cypress tree in the form of beads on the neck and on the carpet - revered as sacred.
The symbolic ritual gestures of Shiva's hands (the so-called wisdom) express the idea of fearlessness, gift-giving and benevolence. Finally, the image of the absolute masculinity of the universe, embodied by Shiva and traditionally represented in the main symbol - the phallic lingam - is very subtly marked in our sculpture. The very contours of the sculpture, the verticality of the composition, the shape of the elephant's tusk from which it was carved, are associated with the ancient symbol and express this idea. Of course, Shiva as universal masculinity in ancient Indian philosophy could only be thought of as a pair with Prakriti (Shakti), who embodied the feminine beginning.
And the sculptor's great work, in all the fullness and brilliance of his skill, embodies these important ideas and representations of ancient India. Undoubtedly, this sculpture was made at a time when the ivory trade was not prohibited, i.e. before the International Convention of 1940, as indicated in the attribution of the sale.