Artwork
Bottom cover, from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Bottom cover, from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It dates from 14 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This painted wooden cover is from a palm-leaf manuscript of a Buddhist scripture, created in Nepal in 1119.
About this work
The pages were stacked like a deck of cards and flipped up and down, not side to side.
You see a long, narrow wooden cover painted with two seated figures under a red arch. Gold leaf shines on their halos and the tiny flowers around them.
This is the top cover of a palm-leaf book from Nepal, made in 1119. The pages were stacked like a deck of cards and flipped up and down, not side to side. The hole on the left side held a peg that kept the whole book together.
Look up more palm-leaf manuscripts from eastern india, bihar, vikramashila monastery. painting: nepal, kathmandu.
Overview
This painted wooden cover is from a palm-leaf manuscript of a Buddhist scripture, created in Nepal in 1119. It is a rare example of a surviving cover from such a manuscript.
Technique & Style
The cover features two seated figures under a red arch, with gold leaf applied to their halos and surrounding floral motifs. The use of gold leaf and the style of the figures reflect the artistic traditions of the time.
Subject & Meaning
The manuscript contains the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, a key Buddhist text known as the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines. The cover's imagery likely relates to the text's themes and significance.
History & Provenance
The manuscript was likely produced in Kathmandu, Nepal, and its construction is consistent with other palm-leaf manuscripts from eastern India and the Vikramashila monastery in Bihar.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
