Balinese Carved & Pierced Wooden Architectural Lintel or Window Panel

This panel is carved, pierced and coloured in polychrome. It is decorated with a pair of winged lions (singa) and two deer (manjangan) amid patera cina flowerwork.

Deers are a frequent motif in Balinese work and are a symbol of the deity Maospahit. Winged lions also are a common feature. They represent kingship

Pierced wooden panels such as this example often were used in Balinese buildings as windows in place of any other material such as glass, or as lintels above doors. They allowed the air to pass through, as well as dappling the light that might come through.

An architectural lintel now in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia decorated in similar tones and attributed to the 19th century is illustrated in Maxwell (2014, p. 154).

The panel is in fine condition and is without cracks or repairs. There is age-related chipping to the paint, as is typical.