Indian Hand Carved Jali Work Fragment

Lacy arch carved with honeycomb and leaves, beneath a tall pointed finial.

This hand-carved sandstone jali fragment is from Rajasthan, India, and dates to the 18th century. Rajasthan has a long tradition of carving local sandstone, and its craftsmen have decorated palaces, havelis and temples with geometric and floral lattice patterns. A pierced lattice panel sits at the right, in warm sandy tones. It is 36 inches wide, 2 deep and 24.5 high.

No surface was left unadorned, and nobody minds.