Shiva is one of the principal deities of
Hinduism. In the
Shaivite tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is the supreme lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe. He is also significantly important to the
Shakta and
Smarta traditions, and is known as the Destroyer within the
Trimurti, the Hindu trinity which also includes
Brahma and
Vishnu. This three-headed standing Shiva sculpture has a three-eyed
yogi-king front-facing form, with his consort
Parvati as the left head, and a three-eyed
Bhairava as the right head. Shiva's sons
Ganesha and
Kumara stand at his feet, and a three-eyed
Vrishabha, his mount, stands behind. The statue, which is 53 cm (
20+7⁄8 in) in height, was made of grey
schist in
Kashmir, India, in the 8th century, and is now in the
Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio.
Sculpture credit: unknown; photographed by the Cleveland Museum of Art