AN ILLUSTRATED DOUBLE-SIDED FOLIO OF A NEPALESE MANUSCRIPT: THE DAKINI VILASINI AND THE VEDIC GOD INDRA
PROPERTY FROM A CANADIAN COLLECTION
Nepal, second half 17th century

Opaque pigments and red and black ink on wove paper, the horizontal-format folio depicting on one side a blue-skinned female figure holding a flower garland and a black string with pom-poms in her hands, the subject accompanied by a double caption in red and black ink Devanagari script reading Vilasini, a reference to the Buddhist dakini or the Hindu shakti goddess bearing the same name, the Playful One, servant of Kama, the Lord of Love, with three further lines of script; and on the reverse a crowned and bejewelled deity with halo - likely Indra, God of Rain and King of the Heavens, riding a caparisoned white elephant, followed by three lines of text and a smaller, later-added red line drawing at the bottom corner depicting a nobleman or courtier holding a lotus blossom, likely a caricature or humorous portrait, the overall composition and design inspired by Medieval Pala illustrated palm-leaf manuscripts.

11.5cm x 18.5cm

Provenance: Private German collection, acquired in the 1970s.

For a similar group of loose illustrated Nepali folios dated 1650 - 1675, please see Christie's London, 25 May 2017, lot 27.