Just a few bits and pieces before I move on.

First, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, set in 16th century India.  By this century  there were a number of influences flowing though India but Mira Nair quite obviously roots her aesthetic in old Sanskrit dramas and erotica.

The accompanying quotes at the link are not from literature from the century but from Sugata Saurabha: The Life of the Buddha, a Nepalese text.

Second, something I stumbled on while researching this post.  Illustrations from a “travel best seller”, Ludovico de Varthema’s Itinerary.

More (including attributions) here: http://vintagesareeblouse.tumblr.com/tagged/16th-century