Vintage Mallana/Shiva Mukhakriti(Mask)

This vintage brass mask represents Mallana, a regional form of Lord Shiva worshipped in Karnataka. It features large, defined eyes, a prominent moustache that curls at the ends, and a peaked crown with a small lingam placed at its base. The figure also wears a simple neck ornament. The surface shows age-related wear but remains in excellent condition.

Such masks were traditionally used as mukhlingams—placed over a Shiva lingam during ritual worship so the devotee could have a visual form to focus on during prayer. The mask offers a face to the otherwise abstract form of the lingam, helping bridge symbolic and human representation in Shaivite practice.

This piece is a significant example of regional ritual art. It reflects how metalcraft and devotion come together in temple use, and stands as a collectible rooted in everyday religious life in South India.