Bull, Possibly God Shiva's Mount, Nandi

This 9th-century andesite sculpture from Central Java likely depicts Nandi, the sacred bull mount of the Hindu god Shiva. Nandi's name means "joy" or "bliss," and he symbolizes purity, devotion, truth, and righteousness. In almost all Shiva temples, a stone Nandi faces the main shrine, perpetually gazing on the god. This positioning teaches that the soul should always be focused on the divine.

The sculpture is carved from andesite, a volcanic rock that was the primary material for Central Javanese temple construction during the 9th century. The famous Borobudur temple used approximately 55,000 cubic meters of andesite. Java's volcanic geology made this material readily available from neighboring quarries and riverbeds. The piece is at the Art Institute of Chicago, a gift from Marilynn B. Alsdorf.