Miniature shrine with linga

The careful crafting of this object and its luxurious
materials—silver with turquoise and other semi-precious
stones—attract admiration.
A small shrine like this might be used for private Hindu
devotion. Its pierced walls mark off a sacred area. Inside
are symbols associated with the great god Shiva, such
as a marker or pillar (sometimes understood as a
phallic symbol), the base in which it rests (symbolizing
divine female creative energy), and Shiva's animal
mount, the bull.