Indian Base for Column with Lion Motif

A tiny arcade of arches runs around a half-round drum, flanked by a pair of grinning lion masks.

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 craftsmen of Gujarat and Rajasthan are famous for white marble carved in dense, crisp detail, and the lion mask is a common protective motif on temple architecture. At the center, a projecting half-drum is carved with small pointed arches. To each side, a lion mask with bulging eyes and curling, feathery whiskers spreads over a band of stylized leaves. It is 27.5 inches wide, 22.5 deep and 7 high.

A column would be lucky to stand on it.