A FEMALE SITAR PLAYER IN A SHAIVITE MUKHALINGA SHRINE
Possibly Himachal Pradesh, Northern India or Deccan, Central India, late 19th century

Pencil, ink, white wash and gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting a female sitar player seated inside a templar complex or shrine, in front of her a pair of elegant and faceted lotus columns, beyond them a Mukhalinga, a Shaiva linga with one or more human faces, emerging from a yoni pedestal, representing together the female and male powers united into one, naturalistic snowy mountains and a lake in the background, mounted, glazed and framed, including a tag at the back with information from a previous valuation and the original vendor's name, 33.5cm x 28cm including the frame.