Lot 200: A Western Indian Astrological Yantra Depicting Surya on...
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A Western Indian Astrological Yantra Depicting Surya on a Chariot, Circa 18th–19th Century.
An exceptional Western Indian astrological textile painting featuring the Hindu sun deity Surya riding a richly decorated chariot, likely dating to the 18th or 19th century. Rendered in natural pigments on cotton, this rare example of vernacular horoscopic or yantra art reflects the deep integration of astral science and religious symbolism in pre-modern Indian tradition.
The composition centres on a circular mandala filled with Sanskrit or regional script, radiating from a smiling sun-face, representing the god Surya. This mandala likely records planetary positions, nakshatras (lunar mansions), or horary cycles. The chariot, drawn by a vibrantly painted horse, includes symbolic wheels filled with astrological annotations. Surya is depicted enthroned in green, with a regal and composed expression, surrounded by mantras and calendrical text.
Stylistically and structurally comparable to folios from the Gujarati horoscope scrolls and Deccan manuscript cosmologies such as the Nujum-ul-Ulum (1570, Bijapur), this textile bridges folk astrology, religious iconography, and visual cosmography.
Approximately 57 x 40cm
Similar yantra and chariot-themed cosmological diagrams can be found in major institutional collections including the British Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Chester Beatty Library. These works, often originating from Western India or the Deccan region, feature intricate textual layouts and symbolic chariot forms consistent with ritual manuscripts and astrological charts.
Christie’s London sold a group of eight yantra paintings—each incorporating comparable chariot-text formats—dating to the 17th century, Western India. The group was acquired by Adamson Campbell, a prominent collector of Indic esoterica.
Additionally, parallels may be drawn with a Tamil Nadu ritual chariot panel (17th–18th century) held by The Met
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