Early 20th Century Tantric Shiva Lingam (Lingham) Stones - 4 Pieces

Description

Title: Early 20th Century Tantric Shiva Lingam (Lingham) Stones - 4 pieces.

Details: (1) approx. 106 lbs. /48 kg. [21 … more Title: Early 20th Century Tantric Shiva Lingam (Lingham) Stones - 4 pieces.

Details: (1) approx. 106 lbs. /48 kg. [21 H x 9 D in. / 53.34 H x 22.86 cm], (2) approx. 88 lbs. / 39.92 kg. [20 H x 8.5 D in. / 50.8 H x 21.59 cm], (3) approx. 6 lbs. / 2.72 kg. [8 H x 5 D in. / 20.32 H x 12.7 D cm], (4) approx. 4 lbs. / 1.81 kg. [8 H x 4 D in. / 20.32 H x 10.16 D cm]. Material: Chalcedony Iron Oxide.

Includes: (4) stones, (2) lucite stands [for smaller stones].

About: These Lingams are called tantric lingams because of the horizontal stripes going across the Lingams which represents female energy thus within each stone there is both male energy (knowledge) of Shiva and the female energy (wisdom) of the horizontal stripe. The vertical or phallic shape of the Lingam represents the stream of man's expanding consciousness and evolution upward. The horizontal or red female lips of the lingam represent the contracting stream of female consciousness and evolution inward. Tantric Lingams have several markings, each of which represents the female energy coming out of the stone.
The Lingam is one of the oldest religious symbols of civilization. It was recognized as far back as the ancient Indus valley civilization for its healing power. This power came to be associated with one of the three main Hindu deities, Lord Shiva. Over thousands of years the Tantric Lingam has come to represent more than a physical or material form to be worshipped as an idol by the learned sages of the East and the West. To them the lingam represents a form of energy, which is within each of us. We are all made of part male and part female energy. Too much of one or the other is destructive, causing imbalance. Male and female energies must be unified if we are to find real peace of mind. Through the union of opposites the energies of creation are released and we can realize a state of higher consciousness. Shiva Lingam stones are found only in the Narmada River in the Mandhata Mountains of India. This place is known today as Onkar Mandhata, one of the seven holy pilgrimage sites of India. The Tantric Lingam is a naturally tumbled and pre-shaped by the river. The process of finding the lingams and shaping them into the beautiful concentric marble-like finished stone is a long one. Once a year, during the dry season when the river is low, particularly on the full moon in February or Sivaratri, the lingams are ceremoniously gathered from the muddy banks of the Narmada River. However, it is not as easy as picking up pebbles on the beach. Each stone must be washed and inspected. Very few stones have the special red marking or spots that make the Tantric Lingam so unique. The lingams are not perfectly concentric and must be shaped and hand polished before they are acceptable for Temple use. This process takes hours of manual labor and special skills to get a perfectly concentric, oval, smooth lingam. The Tantric Lingam is found only in this one place in India. It can be identified gemologically by its unique red spots. These spots do not run all the way through the stone like normal strata stone. In this case the mineral known as crypto crystalline quartz, or gemologically as chalcedony has an inclusion or a matrix of Iron Oxide and Geothite. This matrix crystallized after the formation of the Chalcedony. To the Tantric, this suggests a form of energy coming from inside the stone, i.e. creation. The very essence of creation is symbolized by the Tantric Lingam in that in the beginning there was one energy, call it God or anything you like. That energy lay dormant until a second energy was introduced. When that occurred all things in this universe were created, Bing Bang. The egg shape adds to the idea of the Cosmic Egg out of which the dualistic universe was hatched. Also the oval outline represents the continuous unending motion of the universe as it expands and contracts forever but never ends.

Note: Comparatively, a small lingham stone sold at auction September 16, 2020 for $2560 ($2000 hammer price + 28% commission. Search "Stair" Hudson, NY ... lot 0194 , DESCRIPTION "Indian Lingham Stone on Wooden Base" "9 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (overall). John Richardson: A Scholar Collects". less