Architectural element with a row of geese

This frieze most likely functioned as a molding in the interior of a North Indian temple. Geese were a popular subject for ceiling components in such structures because these birds were consideredto link the earth with the heavens. From very early times geese were also featured in the decoration of reliquaries, presumably because of this association with the transition between mortal and divine worlds.

The procession of birds on this panel is depicted in a lively range of poses: one stretches back to preen its feathers, another scratches its head with a webbed foot, and others stoop to peck at a tasty morsel. The curling tendrils of a budding lotus (another symbol of the transition between the earth and the heavens) rise to form roundels between most of the animals.