Indian Door Lintel with Central Bird Medallion

At the center, a wheel of tiny diamonds turns around a single spiral.

This door lintel with a central bird medallion comes from the border of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, India, and dates to the early 19th century. It is carved teak wood. Carved lintels in Indian houses and temples were traditionally placed over doorways. A large circular medallion fills the middle, cut in a lattice of faceted diamonds around a central spiral and edged with a rope border. Half medallions sit at either end, and dense scrolling foliage with small birds and animals fills the spaces between. Leafy borders run along the top and bottom. It is 48 inches wide and 14 high.

Every doorway deserves a proper introduction.