Guard Bracket Figure, Gujarat

Brackets are architectural elements projected from a wall, usually to carry weight or to strengthen an angle. Intricately carved and painted, brackets were often found in Indian palaces and temples.

This old bracket, depicting a man with a lion and a dog to his right, and a parrot on his left shoulder, signals that this is likely a sentinel or a guard. From Gujarat, this bracket would most likely have been used as a decorative architectural element. There is some loss of paint due to ageing. The bracket is mounted on a wooden base.