Deccan
Wood
This exemplary carved panel is delicately adorned with a central floral sprig beneath which a pair of peacocks stand gracefully. The scene is enclosed within a multifoil archway, adding to its elegance.
Wooden construction was once widespread throughout most of Southern India, but the intense heat and the severe monsoonal rains have meant that a large proportion of the wooden buildings in private and public use have now disappeared. The typical southern Indian wooden building, was supported on a framework of columns, with an elaborate system of interlocking brackets and beams to support the floors and roofs. Carved doors, windows, and screens and panels filter light and ventilate the interiors, creating an environment that is both comfortable and richly detailed. The scale and shape of houses was dictated by the maximum height and span of timber beams, resulting in a modular system of construction. The woodwork was deeply cut and naturalistic, the intention of the artisans was to capture the forms and energies of the natural world. Panels such as these, with floral medallions radiating in full bloom or others with elaborate geometric modelling, ornamented of palaces, houses and temples.
Size (cms): 45(H) x 49(W) x 9(D)
Size (inches): 17.5(H) x 19.5(W) x 3.5(D)
