Shiva lingam box - Silver - India - Early 20th century

Shiva lingam casket (ayigalu or shivadhara) is a beautiful example of this type of round casket shaped like a pot. Dating from the early 20th century, or perhaps earlier, it is hand-cast in high-quality silver and was generally worn by the upper merchant bourgeoisie. It shows normal wear marks for a piece of this age. Provenance: Karnataka, India.

The Shiva lingam casket or receptacle is usually worn as a necklace, a chain (sivadhara) passing through the openings and fastening into the rectangular compartments located on the sides of the oval form. Thus, the upper part of the casket slides along the cord and is not at risk of getting lost, an important point because the amulet is opened at least once a day. The Shiva casket contains the movable lingam (jangama) – the sacred stone of the same name is absent here, symbolizing Shiva himself as the emblem of creative power. It also serves as a meditation object, allowing the devotee to focus on Shiva. These caskets are worn by lay Lingayat followers (linga banajiga), who distinguish themselves from other Hindus by the fact that the lingam casket is worn visibly on the body.
Punch mark A I on the dome, tested with a touchstone
Height: 3.7 cm
Length: 4 cm
Width: 2.5 cm
Weight: 24.23 g