Artwork
Text, Folio 125 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 125 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Unknown. It dates from 14 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The work, titled *Text, Folio 125 (recto) from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines*, is catalogued as a painting despite its primary function as a written document. It consists of a single wooden board on which a dense block of black ink calligraphy is rendered in an unidentified script.
Subject & Meaning
The inscription appears to be a fragment of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita‑sutra, a key Mahayana Buddhist text. Though the exact language cannot be determined from visual inspection, the content likely conveys passages on the perfection of wisdom, a central theme in Buddhist doctrine.
Technique & Style
The calligraphic hand is uniform throughout, suggesting a single scribe or a standardized method of execution. Lines are tightly spaced, with each line following closely on the one above, creating a compact visual field. The ink is applied in a consistent black hue, and the script is arranged in three distinct sections, each separated by a circular perforation through the board.
History & Provenance
The piece is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. Its origin is tied to a manuscript tradition of the Prajnaparamita sutra, but the precise geographic or chronological provenance remains undocumented in the available records.
Context
Writing on wood, rather than the more common paper or parchment, is atypical for Buddhist manuscript production, indicating either a specific functional purpose—perhaps a portable teaching aid—or a regional material preference. The perforations may have facilitated mounting or binding within a larger codex.
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 124 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 131 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 132 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 129 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 128 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 164 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 13 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 69 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)