Deccan, cast bronze, mukhalinga from Maharashtra.
The mukhalinga is a covering or mask used to give a face or iconic form to the abstract Shiva lingam. The face allowed worshippers to both see and be seen by Shiva and would have been placed over the linga. This piece is a depiction of one of the forms of Shiva, the moustached warrior Vīrabhadra, also known as Veerabadhra, Veerabathira, Veerabathiran who is a fierce and fearsome form of Shiva.