Indian Pichvai or Devotional Shrine Hanging, Framed

Dark-faced figure with a spray of red petals glows in an oval frame.

This pichvai or devotional shrine hanging is by Tantric Krishna, from India, and dates to the early 20th century. It is pigment & cloth. Pichvais grew out of Pushti Marg, the path of grace, a sect begun in the 15th century by the philosopher Vallabhacharya, who taught worship through love, devotion and surrender. On a painted oval of olive green shows a standing figure in a yellow skirt with a tall, rayed halo and a fan of red petals. A thin orange star-shaped diagram sits behind. A pale mat and a dark carved frame surround it. It is 44 inches wide, 2 deep and 54.75 high.

Neat, bold, and framed with the confidence of a showpiece.