Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. In the Shaivite tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is the supreme lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe. He is also significantly important to the Shakta and Smarta traditions, and is known as the Destroyer within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity which also includes Brahma and Vishnu. This three-headed standing Shiva sculpture has a three-eyed yogi-king front-facing form, with his consort Parvati as the left head, and a three-eyed Bhairava as the right head. Shiva's sons Ganesha and Kumara stand at his feet, and a three-eyed Vrishabha, his mount, stands behind. The statue, which is 53 cm (20+7⁄8 in) in height, was made of grey schist in Kashmir, India, in the 8th century, and is now in the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio.

Sculpture credit: unknown; photographed by the Cleveland Museum of Art