A Buff Sandstone Head of Shiva India, Uttar Pradesh, circa 10th century. The face with full cheeks and downcast eyes, the hair pulled into a chignon secured by an elaborate tiara with skulls. The ingenious treatment of the jatamukuta allows for deep shade to nestle between the waves of stylized hair, interspersed with skulls symbolizing the deity's creative and destructive aspects, a dramatic amplification of the gently swelling forms of the face. Height: 36 cm. Provenance: Part of the Shah Collection, since first half 1970s