Artwork

Text, Folio 42 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Text, Folio 42 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It dates from 1119 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This artwork is a detail from a manuscript page, specifically Folio 42 (verso), of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, a Buddhist scripture known as the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines. It features a narrow, light brown parchment with a bifurcated text layout.

Subject & Meaning

The subject is the sacred text itself, emphasizing the importance of Buddhist scriptures. The bifurcated layout with a central hole may symbolize the void or emptiness (shunyata), a key concept in Mahayana Buddhism, underscoring the philosophical depth of the manuscript.

Technique & Style

Executed in dark ink on natural parchment, the text is rendered in a flowing, intricate script with flourishes, characteristic of ancient manuscript traditions. The rough, light brown parchment and the contrast with the dark ink contribute to the overall aesthetic.

Context

Created as part of a larger manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, this folio reflects the manuscript culture of Buddhist textual preservation and dissemination, likely produced in a monastic or scribal setting for study or ritual use.

Legacy

As a fragment of a significant Buddhist text, it preserves ancient scribal practices and philosophical teachings, offering insights into the religious and intellectual traditions of its time. Its survival contributes to the understanding of manuscript history and Buddhist scholarship.