Shiva Linga

Phallic symbol of the Hindu deity Shiva, 900-1000
Nepal
Stone
Gift of Raymond G. and Milla H. Handley, B87S7 [ San Francisco Asian Art Museum]
This pillar-like sculpture (linga) is often the main image in a temple dedicated to Shiva, and it symbolizes the procreative power of this god, who is one of the principal gods of Hinduism.
The four faces represent the four cardinal directions. The fifth direction is represented by the center shaft, left plain in keeping with the Hindu belief that the Absolute is formless. Together,
these directions represent the universe.

The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco does allow photography. They do not permit tripods or flash, however. Even with the use of Portra 800 I still had to become a statue, exhaling slowly as I shot this photo at 1/4 second with the aperture at f=3.5. Against all odds, it came out well.

This photo was taken by a Minolta Autocord TLR medium format film camera with Seikosha-MX Rokkor 75mm f/3.2 & 3.5 twin lenses using Kodak Portra 800 film, the negative scanned by an Epson Perfection V600 and digitally rendered with Photoshop.