INDIA, PAHARI HILLS, NURPUR OR BASOHLI, CIRCA 1700 OR LATER

The two paintings on this spread depict the trimurti —Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu — worshiping Devi. The so-called Dispersed Tantric Devi Series, produced in Basohli circa 1660 to showcase the different manifestations of the Goddess, is among the earliest known series commissioned in the Pahari region. The series demonstrated a clear influence in later Pahari works such as lots 467 and 468. Lot 467 stems from Mandi, prior to the employment of Sajnu at the court atelier, at a time when the painting school was marked by more nascent, playful styles. Lot 468 was produced in either of the closely related schools of Nurpur or Basohli, both schools utilizing the distinctive technique of raising jewelry with thick, white paint and embellishing the jewels with emerald colored beetle leaves.