Indian Base for Column with Lion Motif

Two lion faces with bulging eyes keep watch from either side of a small columned drum.

This base for column with lion motif is Jain, from Kutch District, Gujarat, India, and dates to the 19th century. It is carved marble and wood. Jain temples in western India are celebrated for white marble carving of extraordinary density, and lion and monster masks are commonly placed on architectural elements as guardians. At the center, a half-round drum is carved with a miniature arcade of arches. On each side, a lion mask with rolling eyes and curling foliate whiskers spreads across the face of the block. It is 27.5 inches wide, 22.5 deep and 7 high.

Even the furniture of a temple comes with a guard.