Artwork
Colophon, folio 188 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Colophon, folio 188 (recto), 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. A page from a Buddhist manuscript, created in 1119, featuring gold lettering on a deep blue background, framed by red and green borders.
About this work
You see a page from an old Buddhist book: gold letters on deep blue, framed by red and green borders.
You see a page from an old Buddhist book: gold letters on deep blue, framed by red and green borders. Tiny figures kneel at the bottom, hands folded in prayer.
This page was made in 1119 by an artist we don’t know. A monk paid for the whole book to earn good karma—like a spiritual donation. The gold ink wasn’t just pretty; it showed the words were sacred.
If you like this, look up *painting: nepal, kathmandu, indian art* for more like it.
Overview
A page from a Buddhist manuscript, created in 1119, featuring gold lettering on a deep blue background, framed by red and green borders.
Subject & Meaning
The page is part of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, a Buddhist scripture. The text is rendered in gold ink, signifying its sacred nature. Small figures at the bottom, depicted in prayer, add to the devotional atmosphere.
History & Provenance
The manuscript was commissioned by a Nepalese monk named Aryashrimittra in the year 239 of the Nepalese lunisolar calendar. The patronage was likely motivated by a desire to accrue religious merit.
Context
Commissioning manuscripts was a common practice among Buddhist monks and laypeople, aimed at disseminating the Buddha's teachings and gaining spiritual benefits.
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
Text, folio 174 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 127 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 3 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 165 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 183 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 9 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 163 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Folio 2 (verso), from a Great Poem about Twos (Dvyashraya Mahakavya) of Hemachandra with Commentary by Abhayatilaka
Folio 1, from a Great Poem about Twos (Dvyashraya Mahakavya) of Hemachandra with Commentary by Abhayatilaka
Text, folio 162 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)