The philosophy of love, magnificently illuminated: how desire is triggered and sustained and the difference between good and bad wishes
Persian Kama Sutra

Persian Kama Sutra
The magnificent Persian manuscript at hand originated sometime between the years 700 and 850
Its 119 miniatures are of varied origin ranging from Persia to Kashmir to northern India
Splendidly embellished with two types of gold and silver, it is a fine specimen of the famous Hindu treatise on sex
Persian Kama Sutra
- Persisches Kama Sutra
- Kama Sutra Persa
Short Description
The world’s most famous treatise on the art of lovemaking – the Kama Sutra – is presented here in a rare Persian manuscript that may be as much as 1,300-years-old. The original text was appended by Persian love poetry and adorned with gold, silver, and the richest pigments. This is one of the few non-Islamic Persian manuscripts in the West and represents an incredibly rare and fascinating specimen.
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.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Persisches Kama Sutra
Kama Sutra Persa - Style
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Persian Kama Sutra“
Kama Sutra Persa
- Publisher
- The Facsimile Codex – Barcelona
- More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
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