Indian Wood Temple Frame

A rectangular opening framed by a diamond lattice and topped with arched crenellations.

This carved teak temple frame is from Karnataka, South India, and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. It is carved teak wood. Hindu household and temple shrines commonly hold images of deities, and the carved surround is meant to honor the presence of the sacred within it. Dark panel with a row of rounded teeth along the top, and a broad frame incised with crosshatched diamonds. The central rectangular window is plain, and the edges are chipped and slightly uneven. It is 3.75 inches wide, 0.5 deep and 5.5 high.

All that crosshatching, just to hold a square of nothing.