Indian Temple Fragment with Monkey Motif, Based

Pale blue lacework in stone, with a pair of crouched figures guarding the pyramid in the middle.

This temple fragment with monkey motif is Jain, from Bhojpur, Kutch District, India, and dates to the early 18th century. It is carved & painted stone. Jain texts picture the universe as shaped like a man, broad at the top, narrow in the middle and broad again at the bottom. Wide fragment on a wooden stand, carved with a central pyramid of pierced foliage flanked by two small crouching figures. A grid band runs along the top, and the pale blue surface shows chips and lighter wear. It is 33.5 inches wide, 14.5 deep and 14 high.

Lace made hard, and kept honest by the wood.