Stylistically, this cotton painted and printed Buddhist textile is a combination of various styles hitherto unknown. It features alternating rows of Buddha images placed under rows of decorative arches in different styles, which seems to have a votive significance. A round- shaped stupa placed on a lotus base has a finial that resembles Tibetan and Nepalese stupas while the image of the seated Buddha in ‘bhumisparsha mudra’ (earth-witnessing gesture) is Pala in inspiration. The headgear of the winged flying figures flanking the stupa, while Himalayan in style are European influenced. The cusped arch, floral capital and decorative motifs on it, under which these figures are placed, are Islamic in origin and reveal a Sultanate style of the east coast of India.Such motifs have never been seen coming together, therefore this textile is a rare example of Buddhist material with a wide range of influences from different parts of Asia.
