Sculpture of Shiva in classical position, one of the main Hindu deities, in brass 19 cm

Shiva One of the most revered divinities in Hindu mythology, member of the divine triad (trimurti) with Brahma and Vishnu. By virtue of its many aspects, benevolent and terrifying at the same time, it takes on different forms and epithets. As the time lord he presides over the incessant dynamic creation-annihilation-regeneration, the rhythm of which is punctuated by his cosmic dance. In addition to being supremely powerful and a destroyer, he is also revered as a divine ascetic. The female divinity that often accompanies him, a symbol of his shakti or vital energy, also takes on different appearances and is gradually identified with Uma, Parvati, Durga, Kali etc. The multiplicity of the god's manifestations is underlined by particular iconographies, which portray him with the body half male and half female, or as a three-headed figure.