Shiva and Parvati

The god Shiva and his celestial consort Parvati are both standing on a double lotus cushion. Behind each of their heads is a nimbusAureoleSimilar to a halo, an aureole is a array of light around the head of a saint or deity. The word stems from the Latin 'corona aureola', meaning 'golden crown'.. Shiva is shown holding a number of his fixed attributes: the tridentTridentThe trident is one of the attributes of the god Shiva. The three prongs represent Shiva's powers as a creator, protector and destroyer. The trident may also appear as an attribute of gods in Shiva's circle., fly-whiskFly-whiskOne of the god Shiva's principal attributes in Indonesian art is the fan or fly-whisk. In fact Shiva is not the only figure to hold this attribute. It occurs frequently as an attribute of both Hindu and Buddhist deities. Heavenly servants often have a fan or fly-whisk to cool their master and to keep away insects., water-bottleFlaskWater flasks contained purified water for monks and ascetics. The flask is an attribute for ascetic deities such as Shiva or the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. It also symbolises the elixir of life. and the rosaryPrayer beadsStrings of prayer beads are carried by both Hindu and Buddhist gods. In Indonesia, they are a standard attribute of both Shiva and Ganesha. They are also worn by Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in a number of the deity's incarnations.. Other characteristics of Shiva are the third eyeShiva's third eyeAccording to legend, Shiva acquired his third eye when Parvati, Shiva's wife, covered his eyes for a joke with her hands. Suddenly all the world went dark. And instantly a bundle of light appeared on the forehead of the god, to replace the sun. This was the origin of Shiva's third eye. on his forehead and the skull and half moon worn in his hair. Parvati holds the red lotus in her left hand, while her right hand makes the gesture of giving. The combination of these figures of Shiva and Parvati is only found on Java. It is rare for such pairs to have survived. These small silver figures were probably ordered by someone whose prayers had been answered, or who had a prayer to be answered.