Shiva as Mahesha

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This statue is part of a group of unusual large stone carvings in the round from the Chola period. They all portray the same deity, long identified as Brahma but now thought to be Mahesha, a form of Shiva. Shiva’s worshipers believe that he manifests himself in three stages, which move from the abstract to the concrete—symbolized by the undecorated linga (shaft); the linga with one or more faces emerging from it; and, finally, Mahesha. From him are born the other two great Hindu gods, Brahma and Vishnu. Mahesha is shown here with four faces: on the right is Brahma; in the center, Shiva; on the left, Vishnu; and on the back, Rudra (possibly the predecessor of Shiva). The attributes associated with Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu are on their respective sides.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art