Indian Temple Fragment with Monkey Motif, Based

Wide stepped gable of curling openwork, softly gray-blue and a little lopsided.

This temple fragment with monkey motif is Jain, from Bhojpur, Kutch District, India, and dates to the mid 19th century. It is carved & painted stone. Manusyaloka paintings, also called Maps of the Human World, show the universe as a cosmic wheel of time in which individual lives are only pin pricks. Long block mounted on a wooden base, with a stepped triangular panel of delicate pierced scrolls at the center. Rough tan stone forms the top, and small figures sit at the corners, showing some chipping. It is 32 inches wide, 16 deep and 11.5 high.

Delicate craft, solid base, and a slightly crooked smile.