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.

About this work

Overview

The work titled “Sangrahani Sutra” is a painted manuscript panel divided into three vertical zones, each dominated by a different palette: yellow on the left, red in the centre, and a combination of green and red on the right. Within these bands a variety of figures—human and animal—are arranged in dynamic poses that suggest motion and interaction.

Subject & Meaning

The composition brings together anthropomorphic and zoological elements, featuring people alongside a dog, a cat and a tiger. The juxtaposition of human activity with wild and domestic animals hints at tantric symbolism, where animal forms often represent specific energies or deities, while the human figures may be engaged in ritual gestures or narrative episodes drawn from the Sutra’s teachings.

Technique & Style

Executed in a style reminiscent of traditional Indian manuscript illustration, the painting employs bold, clean outlines and saturated hues that emphasize contrast between the three sections. The use of flat color fields, without gradation, and the energetic placement of figures create a rhythmic visual flow, reinforcing a sense of movement across the panel.

Context

Manuscript paintings of this type were commonly produced for religious or instructional purposes within tantric lineages, serving as visual aids for the transmission of esoteric doctrines. The division into colored zones may correspond to doctrinal categories or stages of practice, a structural device found in other contemporary Indian tantric artworks.