An Illustrated Folio from a Manuscript of Asanas, Rajasthan, Mewar / Udaipur, circa 1720-30

Doris Wiener Gallery, New York, late 1960s or early 1970s, by repute.

Christie's New York, 20th March 2012, lot 301.

A nayaka (prince) and his nayika practice lovemaking in a seated yoga position (asana) on a

carpeted outdoor terrace enclosed by a white balustrade. A handmaiden stands behind them waving a morchal (peacock feathered flywhisk) holding three small vessels of liquor on a gold jeweled bowl. Their bed surrounded by pillows and a metal urn set on a tripod. Against a mossy green ground rising to abstracted horizontal strips of white, black and blue sky above.

An asana is a component of yogic practice which focuses on the physical posture of the

practitioners. They attempt here to hold a seated position for an extended period of time. The present painting is from a series of such asanas related to sexual positions which were

produced at Udaipur in the kingdom of Mewar likely during the reign of Maharana Sangram

Singh II (r. 1710-1734). Our specific artist's name is not known. However, given the very high quality of the brushwork, it was almost certainly produced at the Maharana's own painting workshops in Udaipur. In our present painting an older nobleman faces a young maiden - each with one arm raised - attempting to remain in that posture (asana) for as long as possible.

Another folio from the same manuscript is in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, New

York (acc. no. 80.277.14) which is also inscribed in the yellow panel at top in black ink

Devanagari script reading "asananama".