Artwork
Text, Folio 117 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 117 (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 14 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This artwork is a wooden panel, dated 1119, featuring a densely packed, handwritten text in an ancient script.
About this work
If you like old books and writing, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art to see this up close.
This is a long, narrow wooden panel covered in tiny, precise squares of ink. The squares form neat rows of text, packed closely together. The wood shows wear, with small holes and faint marks where the ink has faded or rubbed off.
The text looks like it’s written in an old script, possibly from a religious book. The date carved into the wood—1119—tells us it’s very old.
If you like old books and writing, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art to see this up close.
Overview
This artwork is a wooden panel, dated 1119, featuring a densely packed, handwritten text in an ancient script. The long, narrow format is covered in precise, tiny ink squares forming neat rows, with visible signs of aging on the wood.
Subject & Meaning
The text is identified as part of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, a key Buddhist scripture focused on the perfection of wisdom, indicating the panel's religious and philosophical significance.
Technique & Style
The work showcases meticulous handwriting in a traditional, possibly ancient Indian or Southeast Asian script, characterized by precise, squared ink marks. The overall arrangement emphasizes clarity and density of textual information.
History & Provenance
Dated to 1119, the panel's origin and history prior to its current location are not detailed here, though its age and condition suggest a long history of use and preservation.
Context
As part of a manuscript of the Prajnaparamita-sutra, this panel would have been used for study or ritual within a Buddhist community, reflecting the importance of written scriptures in Buddhist practice and scholarship.
Legacy
Now housed at The Cleveland Museum of Art, the panel serves as an important artifact for the study of ancient Buddhist texts, manuscript traditions, and the history of writing systems.
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 90 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 24 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 117 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 22 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 173 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)