Shiva Linga kosh: Visual Research on the Provenance and Meaning of a Sacred Artefact from Nepal

Abstract

‘Shiva Linga kosh: Visual Research on the Provenance and Meaning of a Sacred Artefact from Nepal’ explores the origin, provenance and cultural significance of a copper-gilt, four-faced chaturmukha Shiva Linga kosh (cover) housed at the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Berlin. The researchers are engaged in collection-based, multi-sited, multi-layered visual research developed through mutual collaboration combining archival-related and qualitative methodologies employing filming, observation and interviews in Nepal and Berlin. This article aims to outline the challenges and possibilities of a cooperative research approach, illustrated through selected moments from the shared research process culminating in the documentary film Shiva Linga: A Visual Quest.