Indian Temple Fragment with Monkey Motif, Based

Turquoise glaze, pierced scrollwork and one small figure in a gloomy pose.

This temple fragment with monkey motif is Jain, from Bhojpur, Kutch District, India, and dates to the mid 19th century. It is carved & painted stone. The origins of Jainism are described as obscure, yet it carries a deep body of literature and doctrine, including artistic depictions of history, meditation, religious practice, ethics and cosmology. Rectangular relief fragment glazed in bright aqua blue, with a band of small flowers along the top and openwork leaf-like scrolls at the sides. A seated figure rests its head on its hands, and the lower edge is broken. It is 15 inches wide, 12 deep and 14 high.

Pretty color, gloomy tenant, and a lot of pierced detail.