Indian Door Lintel with Lion Head Motif

A lion's face with wide copper-dotted eyes peers out from the end of a dark stone beam.

This door lintel with lion head motif is Jain, from Kutch District, Gujarat, India, and dates to the 18th century. It is carved marble. In Jain and Hindu architecture, a lion or monster mask above a doorway is commonly understood as a guardian, warding off harm from those who pass beneath. At its end, the lion's face is carved with round eyes inset with small metal dots, scrolling brows and a broad mouth, with a toothed band and a projecting tongue below. It is 8 inches wide, 19 deep and 6 high.

A guard that never needs a break.