Ardhanisvara

This poster art image, as well as the statue at the head of this blog, are representations of an Indian deity known as 'Ardhanisvara', who displays features of both genders. As Ardhanishvara, Shiva is androgynous: i.e., half male, half female and yet at the same time one god. Shiva Ardhanisvara is another of Shiva's manifestations in which the symbolism of Tantric opposites is represented as the perfect union of the two primordial principles, Shiva and Parvati (his 'consort'). Note, the figure has one male breast and one female one, and at the figure's feet are two different animal mounts: Shiva's bull and Parvati's lion.