Who painted Tantric Manuscript, "Sangrahani Sutra"?

Tantric Manuscript, "Sangrahani Sutra" was painted by Unknown.

Where can I see Tantric Manuscript, "Sangrahani Sutra"?

Tantric Manuscript, "Sangrahani Sutra" is held by Detroit Institute of Arts.

Artwork

Tantric Manuscript, "Sangrahani Sutra"

Tantric Manuscript, "Sangrahani Sutra" is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts. The work is a single folio from a historic tantric manuscript identified as the Sangrahani Sutra.

About this work

Overview

The work is a single folio from a historic tantric manuscript identified as the Sangrahani Sutra. Rendered on aged paper with a yellowed tone, the page displays dense lines of Sanskrit text in black ink, accented by selective red markings. The script is executed in a formal cursive hand, embellished with ornamental flourishes that give the page a refined appearance.

Subject & Meaning

The text comprises verses of the Sangrahani Sutra, a tantric treatise concerned with ritual compilation and esoteric instruction. While the visual composition is primarily textual, the red highlights likely denote key doctrinal terms or liturgical cues, guiding the reader through the sutra’s complex theological content.

Technique & Style

Ink is applied with a fine brush, producing a smooth, continuous black line that forms the main script. Red pigment, applied sparingly, creates contrast and emphasizes particular passages. The cursive calligraphy follows traditional Indian manuscript conventions, featuring elongated strokes and decorative terminal loops that reflect the aesthetic conventions of medieval Sanskrit scribal practice.

History & Provenance

The manuscript’s yellowed substrate and the style of its script suggest a medieval origin, typical of Indian tantric texts produced between the 10th and 14th centuries. No specific collector or institutional ownership is recorded, but the folio’s preservation indicates it has been kept in a protected environment, likely within a monastic library or private archive.

Context

Tantric manuscripts such as the Sangrahani Sutra were central to the transmission of esoteric knowledge within Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Their production required skilled scribes familiar with both the linguistic nuances of Sanskrit and the ritual symbolism of tantra, situating this page within a broader scholarly and devotional network of medieval India.