Indian Relief Panel with Buddhist Motif

A wooden figure in a lotus seat, carved in relief and half-worn away.

Carvers in Gujarat, India, made this relief panel with a Buddhist motif in wood in the 18th century. Carved wooden panels of this sort were commonly used in architectural and furniture settings. A seated figure with a jeweled headdress and a raised hand sits among curling foliage, framed above by a band of round beads and below by scalloped edges. The wood is a dry, reddish-brown with some darker spots, and the carving has softened with age.

About 9 inches tall. Hang it, or lean it. Either way, it keeps its calm.