Persian Kama Sutra

The Kama Sutra or “Treatise on Sexual Pleasure”, is a 4th century Hindu text by Vātsyāyana intended to cultivate sexual pleasure independent of procreation. The author explains in the preface that it is a synthesis of various ancient texts. According to the ancient Hindus, there are four purposes in life: Dharma or religious piety, Artha or material success, Moksha or emancipation/enlightenment, and Kama or sexual pleasure. All four of these aims are equal and so the cultivation of sexual pleasure was itself seen as a mystical, religious act. More than a mere manual concerning sexual positions, the Kama Sutra is a general guide to living well and addresses the nature of love, how to find a partner, maintaining a happy marriage, and other pleasurable things in life. The text itself is a mix of prose and poetry addressing the philosophy of love, how desire is triggered and sustained, and discusses the difference between good and bad desires.

A Rare Specimen from a Private Collection

The Kama Sutra has enjoyed numerous translations, such as the magnificent Persian manuscript at hand, which originated sometime between the years 700 and 850 and is currently housed in the private collection of Miguel Huguet Viñas. Its 119 miniatures are of varied origin ranging from Persia to Kashmir to northern India and are splendidly embellished with two types of gold and silver and are also accompanied by Persian love poetry. The ban on trafficking in miniature paintings and non-Islamic manuscripts in Iran after the 1979 revolution and in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan has largely cut off trade in these works, making the specimen at hand all the more valuable to researchers and lovers alike.