Artwork
Text, Folio 8 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 8 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1119 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The object is a slender wooden panel, its surface densely filled with rows of minute, deeply incised characters.
About this work
Overview
The carving covers the entire length of the strip, creating a uniform field of text against the aged, golden‑brown timber.
The object is a slender wooden panel, its surface densely filled with rows of minute, deeply incised characters. The carving covers the entire length of the strip, creating a uniform field of text against the aged, golden‑brown timber. It forms a segment of a larger Buddhist sutra, specifically a folio from the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita, a text known for its extensive exposition of the perfection of wisdom.
Subject & Meaning
The inscribed passage belongs to the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita, a seminal Mahayana scripture comprising eight thousand verses that articulate the concept of emptiness and the path to enlightenment. As a religious document, the text serves both devotional and didactic purposes, guiding practitioners in the contemplation of wisdom and the transcendence of dualistic perception.
Technique & Style
The script is rendered in an ancient Indic hand, each glyph carved with a fine, sharp tool to achieve a pronounced relief. The uniform depth of the incisions produces a consistent shadow line, enhancing legibility despite the miniature scale. The wood’s patina, softened by centuries of use, underscores the meticulous craftsmanship required to produce such a dense textual surface.
History & Provenance
This folio originates from a manuscript tradition that circulated across Central and East Asian Buddhist monastic centers. Though the precise origin of the panel is not documented, similar examples have been preserved in major collections, such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, indicating a historical practice of carving sutras onto portable wooden supports for ritual or instructional use.
Context
Carved sutra panels like this one reflect a period when textual transmission extended beyond palm leaves and paper, employing durable materials for itinerant monks and scholars. The Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita’s extensive length necessitated multiple folios, each serving as a portable segment of the larger doctrinal corpus, facilitating study and recitation in diverse monastic settings.
Artist & collection
Text, Folio 4 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 6 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 38 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 40 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)