Lot 153: A Tantric Painting of Shiva, Rajasthan, 18th/19th Century

This Indian miniature painting, rendered in opaque watercolors or gouache on paper, depicts a complex tantric iconography of Shiva. The central figure, a multi-armed deity with reddish-purple skin, a prominent golden crown, and a distinctive nose appendage, is seated in a lotus position. A smaller meditating figure is enthroned on his head. His torso reveals stylized internal anatomical elements, including a four-armed smaller figure, crescent moons, and fish-like forms entwined with black serpents, which also coil around his limbs and flank him. Two lighter-skinned male attendants, one holding a trident-like implement, frame the central figure and interact with the snakes.

Approximately 27.7 x 20.5cm